Kamen Rider RaiLeon: Redux!
by MaesterDimentio
Summary: An ancient enemy, long though defeated, has risen again, aiming to conquer all he sees. Those who fought against him previously are either dead or missing, save a sole vanguard. Now, the Guardian Beast of Lightning and Lee Collins, a young man looking for his place in the world, must fight together to stop his conquest. Together, they are the Golden Warrior of Lightning, RaiLeon!
1. Chapter 1

_**Let the new story begin... Now!**_

* * *

**Episode 1: Roar! The Beast of Lightning!**

Deep within the mountains of Japan, a lone temple remained hidden from the world, obscured from prying eyes. Despite its great age, it remained intact and had been kept in nigh pristine condition thanks to the work of the priests who made the area there home. Few people had ever seen the temple and for that, the priests were grateful, for hidden within the temple was a tunnel that led down into the ground. A large door, covered with seals and bound with a golden chain and lock, stood in the center of a large cavern. It was the sacred duty of the priests to maintain and protect the temple in the hopes that the door would never be found or worse…

That it would be opened.

Jin, one of the head priests of the temple, watched as dark clouds began to form over the horizon. He turned his head to look behind him, where the other priests had gathered, various weapons in their hands. He felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. They were peaceful. To hold weapons like they did now, like his own naginata_,_ felt wrong and unsettling. However, with that sadness, he felt his own sense of responsibility to the previous shrine-keepers who would have defended this temple with their lives should the time ever come. As he turned and looked back to the horizon, he knew the time had come.

The dark clouds, once gathered far on the horizon, now hung above the temple. Streaks of red lightning arced across the clouds and a thick fog began to settle on the ground, completely obscuring the priests' vision. From within the fog, terrifying shrieks and howls could be heard, made by creatures that one could hardly fathom. Slowly, the outline of a figure came into being, approaching them. As it drew near and finer details could be made out, Jin could not help but recoil slightly in fear.

The monster, for no human could look like this, held a massive spiked club in its right hand. Dark red scales covered its body and it wore a black chestplate. The monster had a tail, which snaked along the ground in what seemed like anticipation, bony spikes jutting from the tip. As the monster saw Jin and the other priests, it narrowed its yellow eyes and the corners of its mouth curled up into what seemed like a smile, or a crude facsimile considering its snout.

"So…" it rasped. "So this is the Guardian Temple. Which would make you the Guardian Priests." It planted its weapon into the ground and leaned forwards onto it. A seemingly unsatisfied look crossed its face. "I expected more from the people who are protecting it."

Jin gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pointing his naginata at the creature. "Demon, away with you! We shall not allow you to defile the sanctity of this place!" No sooner did the words leave his mouth than the screams of his fellow priests reach his ears. He turned to see a shocking sight. Bolts of red lightning struck the temple grounds, blasting the stone floor of the temple to pieces. His fellow priests tried to dive away and avoid it, but to no avail.

A cold laugh made him look up. Standing on top of the gate to the temple was a robed man, his face obscured by his hood. A long, violet ribbon was stitched to the right shoulder of his black and dark red robes and had been swung over so that it hung from his left shoulder, various symbols woven into the fabric in gold. In his left hand he held a large black tome with a glowing violet eye on the front. "Did you expect to be able to protect this temple from us with such a meager force? My magic alone would have been enough to destroy all of you." He moved slightly to the side to avoid an arrow that had been fired by one of the priests, letting out a sigh of annoyance that was barely audible over the din of the thunder. "What a nuisance…" he said as he snapped his fingers. A bolt of red lightning dropped from the sky and struck the priest. There was a bright flash and then he was gone.

Jin turned around and rushed the scaled beast, his naginata aimed at its heart. "Damn you, you monsters!" he screamed as he thrust it forward. The creature simply grabbed the shaft of the weapon and flicked its wrist, snapping off the head of the spear.

"Pathetic, even for a human…" it murmured as it swung its fist, connecting painfully with the side of Jin's head. Jin crumpled in a heap and lay still, a faint trickle of blood running down his face. "Now then, where's the shrine?" It hefted its club onto its shoulder as it looked up at its ally. "Show me where it is, Malrok! I'm ready to raise Hell!"

Malrok pointed to the large doors of the temple behind them. "In there, Zabon." As Zabon began to walk towards the doors of the temple, Malrok jumped down from his perch, landing in front of him. "Do not bother. Lord Mithras has already made his way into the sanctuary. Soon, we shall have what we have desired for so long." A sudden roar made him spin around. The doors of the temple shot open from some invisible force. Beneath his hood, Malrok smiled.

It had begun.

* * *

_Two warriors stood across from each other in a clearing. Fire surrounded the area they stood in, engulfing and destroying everything around it. There seemed to be a malevolence to the flames, as if they would greedily devour whatever was caught up in them. One of the warriors let out a dark laugh as they raised the massive sword they carried. "Surrender to fate, Guardian, as it has already chosen me as the ruler of this world."_

_The Guardian, who had been kneeling over the body of a fallen comrade dressed in blazing red, straightened as the light of the flames flickered off of his golden armor. The helmet he wore no longer had a faceplate and tears freely streamed down his face. "Damn you Mithras! All of this suffering, all of this death and destruction – why?! So you could live out some dark dream that you claim is FATE?" Drawing himself to his full height, the golden warrior picked his sword up from where he'd stabbed it into the ground. He took a look at the clearing and grimaced. Two more bodies, one clad in blue and the other in deep green, lay on the ground, blood pooling around their still forms. The laughter of the other warrior, Mithras, drew his attention._

"_Dream?" he questioned. "No, dear Guardian, this is no dream that I have chosen to make reality. __**This,**__" he motioned with his free hand to the area around them, "is fate choosing the one who shall lead this world to a new age! This is destiny taking its course, destroying all that would interfere in its greater design! What you do, and what your allies have failed to do, is nothing but a dream, Guardian Beast." He shook his head. "I was chosen by destiny, my rule preordained by powers greater than you or your kind could ever fathom. And destiny shall always be fulfilled."_

_The Guardian growled savagely as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Then this is one destiny that I promise will never be fulfilled!" With a roar, the Guardian and Mithras charged at each other, their blades flashing in the light of the dancing flames._

_There was the clashing of metal and a loud howl of agony pierced the air._

* * *

_Again, I dream of that night._ The Guardian, though it had been long since he had been called such, smiled ruefully as he cracked open his eyes. He'd discarded much of the armor that he wore in his final battle with his oldest foe and now wore a black and gold tunic with matching, loose-fitting pants. His deep blue eyes drifted over to a small area on his right, where three small memorials had been raised. "Another day we spend apart, my friends…" There was nothing but sadness in his voice as he spoke, and the act of speaking the words almost seemed to pain him.

A sudden surge of pain did occur, however, forcing him to double over as he clutched his side. Lifting up the side of his tunic, he saw the scar he'd sustained during the final moments of his battle with Mithras: running from his hip to just next to his spine, it had nearly been a death blow. Sometimes, he wished it had been.

_Maybe I'm not so far from joining you after all, old friends. _Lying back on the soft grass, he let out a slow sigh. _There's nothing for me in this world. Mithras is dead, and so are my fellow Guardian Beasts. Those that were not killed remain dormant in their Cores, scattered to the furthest reaches of the known world._ _But, without a Host, my power has been slowly wasting away._ A grim smile creased his face at the thought. "A few more days, maybe only a few more hours if I'm fortunate … I'll be there soon, my-"

A wave of pure malice suddenly swept over him, making his eyes go wide as a terrifying screech resounded through his ears. Jolting up from his resting place, the air around him began to crackle with electricity. _What in the name of the Guardians was that!?_ He searched around wildly with his eyes, trying to pinpoint the location of the dark energy he'd just felt, when a scent he'd long thought gone entered his nose for the first time in centuries. Rage instantly filled his body at the thought of one man, one monster, filled his entire mind.

"MITHRAS!" he screamed. The air around him crackled violently, bolts of electricity arcing off of him and striking the ground, tossing up the dirt from the force of impact, as his eyes narrowed and turned deep gold and catlike. "How?! How is that bastard alive when they died to end him?" He was seething with total, uncontrolled rage. He felt like running towards where the scent came from and tearing apart the ancient warrior with his bare hands, when the wound the warrior dealt him flared up again, forcing him to his knees.

"I… I can't believe it… I've failed them…" he muttered, angry tears falling to the ground. "They died, I lived and fought, and for what? For him to return while I have no power to call upon?" He pounded the ground angrily with his fist as he willed himself to his feet. "No, I will not let it end like this! No matter what it takes, I _will_ find a way to stop him!" With a roar that could barely be described as human and more of a furious beast, his entire body turned into a sphere of crackling light that shot into the sky.

After so many years, the Guardian Beast of Lightning was going back on the hunt.

* * *

"_MOM! DAD!"_

A sudden boom broke the young man out of his thoughts, his heart pounding furiously as sweat poured down his face, which he quickly wiped away with the sleeve of his hoodie. _That dream, that damned dream…_ Clutching his fists tightly, to the point where he nearly drew blood from his palms, he looked out the window of the plane and sighed. "Just the thunder, Lee, just the thunder." The thought of this soothed him as another blast resounded from within the dark clouds the plane flew through.

"Oh, did the storm wake you?" He turned around to see a flight attendant looking at him, a concerned look on her face. "There's really no need to worry; though the storm was unexpected, the pilots have flown through worse and have made it through just fine. We should be touching down in Yakubo in an hour or so, so please try and relax."

Realizing she must have seen his reaction to the thunder, he smiled bashfully. "Oh, the storm's not really bothering me. It more surprised me than anything. Um, would you mind if…" He gestured to the cart the attendant was pushing, looking at one of the bottles of water. Nodding, she quickly took one off and handed it to him. Gratefully accepting it, he opened it and guzzled a few deep gulps before bringing it away. "Thanks… I had a bit of a bad dream, and the thunder just added to it. I'm fine, really." After a moment, the attendant bowed and resumed pushing her cart down the aisle.

Turning back to face the window, Lee smiled as he watched the graceful chaos of the storm unfold. The sudden flashes of lightning followed by the deep rumbles of thunder made him shake with excitement as the soft pattering of rain soothed him and the mysterious whisperings of the wind only drew him further into the beauty of the event. Most teenagers went to rock concerts in order to have this much excitement; Lee waited for the concert to come to him, and he always had a front row seat.

Leonard Steven Collins-Hirayama, or Lee Collins to his friends and family, was definitely not what you'd call a normal teenager. For as long as he could remember, he'd been entranced by storms; the raw power that could destroy you within seconds coupled with the awe inspiring sights and sound had made him fall into a deep love with the atmospheric event. For years in high school, and even for some time in middle school, he'd studied nearly every textbook on meteorology, absorbing the information with a passion that some would call obsession. Perhaps it was, but it was an obsession that had fueled him throughout his high school life. He'd taken every honors course he could get his hands on, taken every course he could think would bring him closer to becoming a weather researcher, and as a result had nearly gotten a perfect score on the science and math portions of the ACT the first time he took it because of it.

And yet, at nineteen, he hadn't set foot inside of a single college or university. No one but he knew why, and even he would question why he didn't follow through with his bright future from time-to-time, and though he felt sure of his decision, he couldn't find an answer. Living in a rented room from his aunt and uncle - at his urging, not theirs, as he refused to live his life as a free-loader - he'd supported himself through various small jobs he picked up from the city he lived near. While his life wasn't perfect, it was his and he was happy with it.

Then, when he turned nineteen, a letter had changed all of it. It was from his uncle, his mother's only brother, who lived in Japan, asking him to come and live with him for an extended period of time. Daisuke Hirayama: it was a name he'd only remembered in the back of his mind, and yet it filled him with excitement. Finally, after so many years, he'd be able to go to his mother's home country, live in her land, and finally learn about his heritage.

Being half-American and half-Japanese, he seemed to favor his father more than his mother; light brown hair that fell over dark brown eyes, with sharp, 'handsome'-as his aunt had insisted on calling them- features and a mouth that always seemed to have a smile on it. Many of his friends had been surprised to find out he was half-Japanese, as he apparently had a face that completely betrayed that half of his DNA. Regardless, once the letter had come and he'd gotten permission from his uncle and aunt to leave the States, he'd packed his bags and had been ready to leave the moment the ticket arrived to take him to his mother's home.

_Mom…_ The thought of his mother flashed into his mind, making all the excitement of the trip wane away. _No, got to keep positive! Stay energetic, like a storm cloud!_ Scolding himself for trying to feel sad on such a momentous day, he resumed looking out the window of the plane as the concert in the skies continued to play on.

* * *

The Guardian Beast landed from his flight in the forests near the entrance to the temple that Mithras' scent had come from. Narrowing his eyes, he watched with a mixture of curiosity and fury as he saw black creatures scrambling across the ruins of the building, carrying the bodies of the temple priests to a large pile and dumping them into it. _He already has a horde of Imps?_ _The bastard works fast…_ Steeling himself, he slowly began to inch forwards, his inner curiosity demanding to know just what was going on.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice from behind questioned in a mocking tone. Before the Guardian could turn around, a heavy weight hit him from behind and sent him flying forwards. Landing on the ground with a hard thud, he turned around to see a reptilian monster wielding a spiked club slowly stalking towards him, its eyes lighting up in surprise at what it saw. "A Guardian Beast, eh? Well, this is just my lucky day! Not only do I get to start my plans for reviving my race, but I get to crush one of the people responsible for our extinction!" With a roar, the reptile ran forwards and slammed his club into the ground where the Guardian had lay just moments before. "Stay still, you mongrel! If you do, I promise that I, Zabon of the Steel Scales, will grant you a peaceful demise." The corners of its mouth twisted up in a sick representation of a smile. "Of course, I wouldn't mind giving you a slow, painful, bloody death either."

"How is a Draconian still alive?" the Guardian questioned, ignoring Zabon's taunts. "I thought the Guardian Beasts extinguished your race after you attempted to create a living hell for this world by burying it in molten earth!" He had to roll to avoid another crushing blow from the Draconian, who sneered at him as the dust settled.

"A living hell for those not fortunate enough to be amongst our number, maybe. But hey, that's the way the world works, isn't it?" Zabon growled as he began an assault of sweeping swipes at the Guardian Beast, who narrowly avoided each of them. "We asked nicely to be given land to expand into but we were denied? By who?" A sudden powerful kick sent the Beast of Lightning sprawling into the dirt. "By the damned Guardian Beasts! _You_ are responsible for my race's extinction, so allow me to do the same to your race." With a growl that was half amusement and half savage desire, he raised his club directly over the Guardian's head, ready to crush it. "Nighty-night, you- GAH!"

As the Guardian Beast let loose a pulse of lightning from his hand, striking the Draconian squarely in his exposed shoulder and sending him reeling backwards, he quickly scrambled to his feet and ran, light enveloping his form as he disappeared again into a ball of electric energy. _I can't fight them, not like this! I need to find a suitable Host, and fast!_

Despite the protection his scales provided him, the blast of electricity was still enough to stun Zabon, who let out a furious roar as he saw his quarry escape him. "Cowardly animal! What happened to the ferocity that your kind is known for? Get back here and show me what it means to be a-"

"Zabon!" The sharp tone of Malrok snapped the Draconian out of his ranting. Turning around, he saw the sorcerer approaching him from across the field, shaking his head. "Lord Mithras could hear your shouts from where he rests, you great brute! Just what is the meaning of this?"

"A Guardian Beast." Zabon growled menacingly, making Malrok stop dead in his tracks. "How?" he hissed. "How is one of the damned Guardian Beasts moving around?! I thought we had collected all of their Cores, or has the past four years been nothing but a scavenger hunt?" He stormed over to the sorcerer and grabbed him by his robes, looking deeply into the void of his hood. "Answer me, you bookworm!"

Though it was hidden by the shadows of his cowl, Malrok was giving his ally the most murderous glare he could muster. With a forceful movement, he shoved Zabon off of him and, as the reptile began to advance towards him, he formed a ball of black and purple energy in the palm of his hand. "You may lead our lord's armies, but remember that I am his right-hand, his aide-de-camp, and chief magician. If I wished it, you would be reduced to a smoldering pile of ash right now." In demonstration, he threw the sphere at a nearby tree. The energy spread across it, hissing and crackling, before bursting into a ball of fire. The Draconian looked towards the charred skeleton of the tree as Malrok looked back towards him. "If you wish to remain as you are, you will stand down right now and return to the temple." Seeing the snarl appear on Zabon's face, he let out a frustrated growl of his own. "If what you say is true, that a Guardian Beast is still alive, then I must make the appropriate adjustments to our plan. Now, I'll ask you again to return to the temple and await further orders."

Gripping his club tightly, Zabon slunk off to the temple, giving Malrok a hateful glare before shoving one of the black figures that was scurrying about the grounds to the ground and stomping down on its chest, crushing it into black smoke. "The things one must put up with in order to achieve their goals… Unbelievable." Malrok sighed and opened his tome. "Now, to ensure we cannot be found again by the Guardian." A ball of dark energy formed in his hand and rapidly expanded, eventually engulfing the entirety of the temple. There was a brief flash and then, nothing. The temple had vanished as though it never existed; the only signs of people ever having been there being the pile of bodies that had been left behind.

* * *

As Lee continued to watch the storm brew, thoughts flew through his head about the new land he was going to visit. _Still hard to believe that I'm actually going to Japan. I'm half-expecting my aunt to come into my room and wake me up from this dream._ Lightly pinching himself on the arm, he shook his head. _Nope, no dream. This really is my reality._ Settling back in his seat, he began to make the necessary preparations for landing, when something flashed by his window. Curious, he turned his head again as a bright light blinded him and nearly made him fall from his seat.

Images that he'd never seen before were burned into his mind, playing out before his very eyes. A warrior charging towards him as they were fighting amidst a sea of fire, their blades clashing furiously; two men and a woman lying dead on the ground, their metal armor broken and shattered; a terrible monster, similar to a dragon, slowly stalking towards him, a sinister grin on its face. As suddenly as the images had appeared, they vanished, leaving Lee panting as he found himself surprisingly exhausted. _What the hell was that?_ As something flashed passed his window again, he fought against his better judgement and looked out towards the storm.

Amidst the black clouds, he could make out a figure. Its body was black and a mane of golden lightning was flashing around its head. A pair of deep blue eyes stared at him, scrutinizing every part of him. With a roar like thunder, the being vanished, though not before Lee's heart began to try and tear itself out of his chest. Sitting back into his seat, he tried to process everything that he'd just seen, only for more questions to come from his mind. As the plane began to come in for a landing, the only thing that Lee could think was something that should have been impossible had he not just seen it.

_That was a lion in the storm clouds._

* * *

As he came to rest on one of the tall structures that the humans had built in their city, the Guardian Beast looked towards the flying machine he'd seen the young man on with interest. _He's the spitting image of him… For a moment, I actually believed that my old Host had returned from the grave._ Walking over to the edge of the building, he looked down at the busy streets and frowned. _If I plan on making him my Host, I will need to find a time when he will need my help and accept me._ _But when?_ Sighing, he sat on the ground and laid back, trying to conserve his energy.

* * *

Grabbing what he'd brought with him, a duffel bag and a piece of luggage that pretty much contained the majority of his wardrobe, Lee set out from the airport and took his first few steps out onto Japanese soil. Even though it was somewhat warm, he was glad for the warmth his hoodie provided him as a chill ran down his spine at the sight before him. The city of Yakubo stretched out before him, a beautiful, shining city that had grown strong through years of being used as a port. Surrounding the city were lush forests and far off, one could see the peaks of mountains in the distance. "I suppose Uncle Daisuke really knew how to pick a place to live," he muttered, taking in the view.

"Oi, Lee! Over here!" Turning his head from the amazing sight of the city, Lee saw a man with shoulder length black hair and a goatee coming towards him. He wore a bright orange collared shirt with brown denims. "Good to finally see you!" the man, his Uncle Daisuke if he had to guess, said as he advanced towards him, a smile plastered on his face. Coming to stop in front of him, he looked Lee up and down before letting out a happy sigh. "God, you look so much like your mother… and a bit like your father, I suppose. Don't let that get you down though." He laughed a bit at his own joke before snapping his fingers, as if something had just occurred to him. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm your mother's brother, Daisuke Hirayama." He extended his hand for Lee.

"Nice to finally meet you, Uncle Daisuke," Lee said, reaching forwards with his own hand to shake his uncle's. "You already know, but I'm Lee-" As Daisuke suddenly pulled the young man into a firm hug, choking the life out of him, Lee couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. _I-Is he trying to kill me? Is that why he brought me here?_ "U-Uncle D-Daisuke, while I'm glad to see you too, I can't-"

"Hmm? Oh sorry!" his uncle said, immediately letting go of his red-faced nephew. "Probably shouldn't have reacted like that, but… Well, this is really our first time to meet, aside from one of the few times Kazumi brought you here when you were still a tiny one." A somewhat sad look glazed over his eyes, though he quickly fought it back. "Anyway, we can catch up later. I had to take a cab to get here." He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb towards a yellow car that was idling next to the curb. "We'd better be going. The meter's still running on this guy." With that, he grabbed Lee's suitcase and marched over to the taxi, motioning for Lee to follow him. Smiling to himself, he did just that.

* * *

After taking the cab to the Tengoku Train Station, it had been a short ride to get to Daisuke's apartment, which was located in the Shinai District, Yakubo's business and financial center. The apartment itself was incredibly spacious, offering a view of most of the city through the glass windows of the living room. From what he'd been told, Lee would have his own bedroom and upon seeing it, he was floored; it had to have been at least twice the size of his old room.

"Now, chances are you won't see me there often, but my room's right down the hall," Daisuke told his nephew. "If you ever need me and I'm here- What am I saying? You're a pretty capable young man if what I've heard is true. You probably won't need my help that often." Letting a soft chuckle escape his lips, the elder Hirayama stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and looked towards his nephew. "So, anything you need to know?"

One thing did come to Lee's mind. Well, two things did, but he didn't dare ask about a lion in the storm clouds. He'd just met his uncle and didn't want him to think he was mental. "Why do you say you won't be around that often? Is it work or…?"

Walking over to the windows, Daisuke smiled. "You see that big building there in the distance?" Lee looked and saw what his uncle was talking about. A decent distance from the apartment, situated in the middle of the city, was a monumental skyscraper. "_That_ is where I work. Most of the time, at least. I'm a pharmaceutical chemist for Everlast. You heard of them?" When Lee shook his head, Daisuke laughed lightly. "Figures you wouldn't have. Everlast is a pharmaceutical giant here in Japan, but we haven't quite made a name for ourselves on the global market. We deal in all sorts of medicines, from antibiotics, to cold medicines, vaccines, prescription medications; pretty much anything that has to do with helping keep people healthy. That reminds me, I need to take you to meet my boss sometime soon."

"Why's that?"

"Masaya Saigo, the president and founder of Everlast, was close friends with your father and mother. When I told him that you were coming to live with me for a while, he practically demanded that I bring you to meet him." Again, a sad look came over the older man's face. "He and Adam practically fought with each other over your mother, and I thought they'd be the worst of enemies when Adam won Kazumi's heart, but he was actually Adam's best man. He… He really loved the two of them." Walking over to sit on the white couch in the living room, he plopped down on it and folded his hands together, leaning forwards in thought. "When he heard about what happened to them… God, I thought I'd taken it hard. He shut down the company for two weeks in mourning, but when he came back, there was a new fire to him. Chances are he realized that they wouldn't want him moping if it meant people were suffering."

"He sounds like a very good man," Lee admitted. It was odd though: Adam Collins, Lee's father, had not once mentioned this Saigo person. _If the two of them really were so close, why didn't Dad talk about him more often? _A memory suddenly flashed through Lee's mind: a man of Asian descent, dressed in mourning attire, standing by the coffins of his parents. _I did see someone at the funeral… Maybe that had been him?_ "Is there any time in particular that he'd like to meet me? I mean, I can't really do it today, but…"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow and stared at his nephew. "Why not? It's your first day here, so what can you have planned?"

Lee blushed lightly and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I sorta entered into a pen pal program not too long ago and made a friend who lived here. Aya Mizuki, a third-year at the local high school. When she found out I was coming to live here, she pretty much demanded I come meet her the very moment I got here." Pretending to check his phone, he mock-frowned. "And it seems that I might be running a bit late. I hope you don't mind, but-"

Daisuke smiled and held up a hand. "Go. You're still young and you deserve to have a bit of fun. Just don't stay out too late and try to avoid the Seishin District; a lot of bad stuff happens around there." Nodding, Lee rushed past his uncle. "Oh, and one more thing." Stopping as he reached the door, Lee turned around to see his uncle looking at him, a smirk on his face. "Try and remember that this is just the first date. Don't do anything too crazy."

Lee was dumbstruck by what his uncle had just insinuated. Rather than reply, he quickly turned around, trying to hide the spreading blush on his face, and stumbled through the door. Even as he left through the front doors of the complex, he could still hear his uncle's booming laughter in his ears.

* * *

Standing on a roughly constructed platform, Malrok thrust his hand forwards as he addressed the creatures before him. Imps, as they were known, were creatures of pure darkness, with simple minds capable of only following instructions. Thin red veins red across their pitch black bodies and their faces featured only a single crimson eye, planted directly in the center of their heads. "We have captured this temple but it is not enough. If Lord Mithras is truly to rule as the master of this world, he must have a fitting place to rule from. Go now and build this place anew!" The creatures all 'spoke' to one another in their high-pitched, chattering 'language' before going off to do as commanded. As they left to go and do their masters' bidding, Zabon strode up to the sorcerer, his tail twitching angrily.

"We managed to take the temple and the Sealed Door is now unsealed. That's wonderful and all, but what do I do now?" Angrily striking the ground with his club and shattering the floor, he stared up at Malrok with bloodlust in his eyes. "I need some action soon, or I swear I'm going to go berserk!"

Chuckling softly, Malrok jumped from the platform and landed beside his ally. "Calm yourself, my friend. The game has barely begun and yet you already wish for it to go to the end? Please, realize that our plans take time and patience." Realizing that the lizard-man's patience was wearing thin, the sorcerer formed a quick plan. "I have a job for you: spread fear throughout the hearts of the human race. Kill them, maim them, destroy their cities – it matters not how you create the fear. Simply create it so that the process for the Awakening can begin." He paused for a moment, in thought. "There was a decently sized city near the mountains this temple once stood in. It will be the perfect target starting out.

A deep, rumbling laugh erupted from Zabon's maw. "I really, _really_ like the sound of that! I'll take a horde of Imps with me and create carnage the likes of which the humans have never seen! Those lumps of meat won't know what hit them!" Still laughing, he slung his weapon over his shoulder and walked towards a group of Imps. "All of you, fall in! It's high time we taught those humans what fear really is!"

"He should do well enough on his own…" Malrok thought as he watched Zabon smash his club into the ground at his feet, causing a pillar of fire to well up from the ground and consume him and his troops. "Of course, why leave things to chance? Besides, what better opportunity to test my newest spell?" Opening his tome, he looked for the one spell he'd been saving for just this occasion. Beckoning an Imp to come to him, he reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small, round crystal. It was greenish-yellow and color and a strange glitter-like substance was inside of it. Placing it in the palm of the Imp's hand, he quickly recited the incantation.

The effects were instantaneous: the jewel melted through the creature's skin, eliciting a cry of pain as it thrashed around in agony. Within moments, changes began to occur as a pair of sickly green wings exploded out of its back. Its red eye became lost within the coarse, light brown hair that covered its body, only to be replaced with a pair of angry, red, segmented eyes. As it walked towards its creator, a faint cloud of yellow dust fell from its wings and onto the ground. Regarding the new creature, Malrok smiled beneath his hood. "Go with Zabon to the human city! Spread fear throughout the hearts and minds of the humans! For the glory of our lord!" He thrust his hand out, creating a swirling dark portal in front of the two of them.

With a piercing shriek, the monster gave a power flap of its wings before taking off and vanishing into the portal, leaving for the unsuspecting people of Yakubo.

* * *

Lee sighed as he read the text he'd gotten from Aya. The very moment that the train had pulled to his stop his phone had gone off. Apparently tired of waiting for him, Aya had gone off to a nearby café to get a quick bite to eat. _At least she included some directions. Of course, I have no idea how to get anywhere in this city, so she might as well have not sent any at all_. As he tried to make heads or tails of the directions she'd sent him, he didn't notice the tall young man who had been standing in front of him until it was too late.

"Watch it!" the young man snapped as they turned around. It was a teenager of about his age, with a scar on his right cheek and short black hair that had silver streaks died into it. He wore a leather jacket over a shirt featuring a purple grinning demon's face and everything about him, from the way he carried himself to his clothing, screamed either 'dangerous thug' or 'overly-stereotypical thug pretender.' "Who the hell do you think you are, running into me like you've got no sense? Do you even know who I am, you little punk?" The people that had been walking around the station all stopped to watch the events unfold.

_Please tell me this isn't going to go the way I think it is…_ Straightening out his shirt, Lee shook his head. "Sorry, but I really don't. Just got off the plane from the States today." Lee, wanting to avoid any possible confrontation, tried to move past him, only for the punk to bar his way with his arm. "Is there a problem?"

The young man snorted. "Yeah, just a bit. You think you can just run around my city not knowing where to go? The next person you just bump into might not be as forgiving as I am." He pushed Lee back a bit and stared him in the eye. "Where exactly is it that you need to go?"

In the back of his mind, Lee had severe doubts about letting this person know where Aya was. For all he knew, the guy could go and attack her. _No chance in Hell someone's going to get hurt because I let it happen. _"No thanks, I can find it for myself," he insisted. Trying to push past again, the punk again stepped into his past. "Okay, back off now before I make you regret getting in my way."

A fire seemed to light up in the young man's eyes at Lee's words. "You think you're tough stuff just because you're from the States? Let me show you what that kind of attitude will get you around here!" With that, he reared back and sent a hard right directly at Lee. Before he could even blink, the young man found himself lying on the ground, staring up at his opponent, who had his right arm twisted in a painful hold. "W-what just happened?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"You went up against someone who's had a _lot_ of classes," Lee casually replied. Letting go of the kid's arm, he helped him to his feet. "Look, just leave me alone, alright? I can find this place without- Hey!" The young man quickly grabbed Lee's phone and, using his free hand to keep him at bay, read the message. "Give that back!"

"Quiet down for a sec!" he snapped, his eyes not leaving the message. "Man, these directions really suck…" After a few moments, he nodded and handed the phone back to Lee. "From here, go down the road on your right, then take a left at the intersection. You'll find a real big plaza not too far from there," he explained as he straightened out his jacket. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He started to walk past Lee, only to stop. "By the way, the name's Eiji Toriyama. You've got some impressive moves, though I swear you just caught me off guard today. No one beats me that easily." Lee simply rolled his eyes. "Just don't think about causing any trouble in my city, got it?" Without waiting for an answer, Eiji brushed past Lee and vanished into the crowd of people.

Shaking his head, Lee left the station, unaware that a pair of eyes had been watching the entirety of the confrontation and they had been very impressed with what they saw.

* * *

When he finally did reach the plaza that Eiji had directed him to, Lee was surprised and a bit upset when he saw no hints of a café anywhere nearby. _These were the directions she sent me, so where is Aya?_ After wandering around aimlessly for a few minutes, and getting no shortage of strange stares from the locals, he gave up and slumped down onto a bench. "I really hope she has a good reason for tricking me like this…" he muttered.

"Oh, I did," a voice from behind said, startling him and making him fall off the bench. "It was _hilarious_ to watch you wander around this place like that." Looking up, he saw a girl a couple of years younger than him wearing a mischievous smile on her face. Her hair was done up in a ponytail and there were various streaks of red running through it. She wore a dark red shirt and plain jeans and held a red cell phone in her hands. "What, you don't know who I am? I'm hurt, Leonard Steven Collins-Hirayama," she said with a mock pout.

"Aya!" Lee cried, getting to his feet hastily. "It's great to finally meet you, though…" He frowned and scrutinized her, folding his arms against his chest. "Hmmm…."

"What is it?" Aya asked, stepping around the bench to get closer to him.

Lee shrugged. "Somehow I thought you'd be cuter in person." Aya looked at him, her expression changing from shock to anger and then burst out laughing as she saw the playful look on his face. Lightly shoving him back, she sat down on the bench in front of him.

"So, what should we do? I mean, what do _you_ want to do, since this is your first day here and all."

Lee shrugged and shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. "I really don't know. Maybe we could-" Any further thoughts were stopped by the sudden terrified screams that came from the people in the plaza. Looking past Aya, Lee's eyes widened. _That's the monster I saw! From that… that vision!_ The reptilian monster joyfully shoved people to the ground, laughing as they screamed in pain in fear. Surrounding it were black figures with red veins running all across their bodies. These creatures all carried red swords that had viciously curved blades that they wove around, terrorizing the people around them as they began to corral them. The moment a group of people had been gathered, another monster, resembling a giant moth/human hybrid, fell from the sky and let some form of dust fall from its wings. When the dust touched them, the people stopped screaming in fear and began to scream in anger, tearing past the monsters and running towards other humans and attacking them.

"Oh my God, what are those things?!" Aya screamed as she saw what Lee had been staring at. As the words left her mouth, a group of the black beasts broke off from the main horde and charged the pair. "Get away!" Aya stumbled back as the monsters began to advance on them, falling down onto the hard pavement. As one of the creatures raised its sword to attack her, it was suddenly knocked to the ground by a brutal kick to the chest. "Lee?"

"Get the hell away from her!" Lee shouted as he stood between his friend and the monsters. One of them charged at him, its weapon raised. Ducking under its arm, Lee delivered a hard punch to the small of its back before grabbing it by its arm and flipping it over his shoulder. He cringed slightly as pain set in from the punch; the monsters had strong skin. Another pair of them charged, letting out high-pitched squeals. In response, he bent down to deliver a strike to one's stomach with his elbow, knocking it back, before jumping up and delivering an uppercut with his left hand. Hearing Aya scream again, he saw that one of the monsters had gotten past him and was trying to grab her. With an angry roar, he jumped at it and threw it off of her, delivering a sharp kick to its chest for good measure.

"Not bad, for a human." A sudden, fiery explosion knocked Lee off of his feet and sent him through the air. He landed hard on his shoulder, causing something to pop. A reptilian hand suddenly clutched around his shirt collar before he was lifted into the air. "But you're still just a human!" The monster let out a growl as he threw the young man to the ground and proceeded to stomp on his chest. "Aren't you afraid? Why don't I smell any fear coming from you?!" Angrily, the creature kicked Lee's side with its clawed foot, making him roll against the ground.

"Stop it!" Aya cried, scrambling to her feet. She ran up to the monster and attempted to hit it, only for her hand to bounce off its armored hide. She cradled her injured hand as its tail suddenly snaked around her legs and constricted. She let out a yelp of surprise as she was suddenly lifted into the air. "Let me go!" she demanded.

"Shut it, human!" the monster snarled. "This world belongs to Lord Mithras!"

"Let go of her!" Scrambling to his feet, despite his injuries, Lee charged the monster and reared back his fist. Digging into every ounce of strength he had, he let loose the best punch he could throw, directly into the monster's stomach.

It had no effect other than making the monster laugh. Dropping Aya to the ground, it grabbed Lee again by his throat. "You may not be producing any fear, but you've been entertaining at the very least. But I'm afraid that all good things must come to an end!" With a roar, it threw Lee across the plaza, where he landed against the fountain with a loud crack. "Goodbye, human!"

As Lee struggled to keep his eyes open from the pain, he saw a ball of flame hurtling right towards him. _I'm sorry… Mom… Dad… I wasn't strong enough…_ Closing his eyes to await the inevitable, he didn't see the crackling gold ball that flew into the path of the fireball and absorbed it.

* * *

"Awake, child."

His eyes snapped open as his heart began to beat furiously. _How am I not dead? I should be nothing but a small pile of ash!_ Slowly getting to his feet, Lee quickly took in his surroundings. He was in a large cavern, the walls ringed with golden stalactites. Bolts of electricity arced between them, spasmodically lighting up the area with blinding flashes of light, though they didn't cause Lee's eyes any pain. In the middle of the cavern, standing proudly on a raised patch of ground, was a creature Lee had thought he had imagined.

It was the lion that he'd seen in the storm. Its fur was a deep gold with streaks of black running through it. The mane was black as the clouds of the storm he'd first seen it in, though sparks of golden electricity jumped from its hairs and danced around it. Its eyes were an electric blue and there were patches of black fur beneath them that resembled bolts of lightning. There seemed to be a proud and powerful aura about the creature, one that Lee felt the full force of as it stared at him.

"You require strength, do you?" The young man's mouth opened in surprise as the lion's mouth opened and words came from it. "Those were your thoughts before I intervened. You said that you were not strong enough, correct?" The lion tilted its head in curiosity. "Tell me: why do you require such strength? For personal gain and benefit? To defend yourself against those that would do you harm? For what reason does one such as yourself require strength?"

Lee lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. "I can't protect anyone if I'm not strong enough…" he muttered. The lion raised an eyebrow at the young man's words. "For most of my life, I've done nothing but train to get stronger, smarter, and better in everything I can be, so that I could protect anyone that I needed to." His fists unclenched as a sad sigh escaped his lips. "But in the end, it didn't matter: I failed." A soft chuckle came from in front of him, making him look up and glare angrily at the beast before him. "And just what part of that is so funny to you? The part where I failed because I wasn't strong enough or the part where innocent people are going to be hurt because I wasn't strong enough?"

"It has been so long since I've met one such as you," the lion said simply. "A person who believes it is their sole duty to this world to protect any and all who need it – you are a dying breed, Lee Collins." A sudden cry of pain escaped the creature as it stumbled forwards. "As am I, I fear…" Looking up at him with its eyes, which had turned from blue to gold, it spoke. "Listen to my words and listen well: a dark threat has come upon your land, one that I battled long ago. I had thought it defeated but I realize that I failed, somehow. If I could, I would go now and destroy it with my bare hands. Sadly, my power has faded over the centuries and now I stand before you near death's doors. As you are as well." Standing back up to its full height, the lion let out a deep growl. "However, if you agree to be my Host, I can prevent both of our deaths and grant you the strength you so desire. In return, I only ask that you aid me in battling the darkness I fought so long ago."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Lee asked. Suddenly, the form of the lion changed: it was now a warrior clad in golden armor, a helmet shaped like a lion's head staring down at him with azure eyes set into a mask. "What are you?" he asked in awe of the sheer power he could feel coming from the creature.

"I am a Guardian Beast, one of many protectors of this world. I am the Spirit of Lightning, uncontrollable and ferocious. I strike down all who would harm this world with my swift power. If you will accept my offer, all of that power shall be yours." The warrior's body began to glow with a blinding light as it extended its hand towards the young man. "Do you accept? Or will you allow the world to be coated in darkness?"

Lee looked at the hand, unsure. "I want to be able to keep those close to me safe…" Closing his eyes, he saw the faces of his uncle and Aya in front of him. They slowly faded away and were replaced by his mother and father. _I won't allow myself to be weak! Never again!_ Opening his eyes, he grasped the warriors hand with his. "I accept! Spirit of Lighting, grant me your power!" he shouted as the golden light of the warrior enveloped both of them and the world faded away.

* * *

Aya stared in shock at the billowing flames that took up the place where her friend had been moments before. _He's gone… Lee's… dead…_ Tears began to run down her face as she struggled to her feet. "How could you do that?! Why?!" she screamed at the monster, who chuckled at his handiwork.

"It was fun," it answered simply. Looking towards the horde of savage humans and the moth monster, bellowing laughter came from his throat. "This is a testament to the power of Lord Mithras! This is what will happen to all who oppose his rule!" Turning on her, the monster snarled. "And you shall soon learn that humans no longer have a place in this world. Now, give me the fear I so desire." It began advancing on her, its club raised and ready to attack, when a loud roar split the air and silenced all around. _I-It can't b-be…_ Slowly, the Draconian turned his head, his eyes widening in shock and anger at what he saw. "What?! I killed you! How are you…?"

"Silence, Zabon!" a voice commanded. The fire vanished as Lee and a large, golden lion stepped from them, which shocked Aya, though she was even more surprised when the lion spoke. "Mithras' foolish plans end now, as does your savagery." The lion turned its head to Lee. "Now, I grant you the strength you so desired. Use it and defeat our enemies!" With a roar, the lion turned into a ball of golden light that shot into Lee's chest. At the same time, a black belt materialized around his waist, golden lines running through it. On the front was the golden head of a lion, its jaw and eyes closed.

Raising his right hand to the sky and bringing his left hand across his chest, Lee closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. His entire expression changed as his eyes snapped open, now a burning gold. A fierce, almost feral look was on his face as he quickly moved his left arm away and held it out to his side as his right hand fell down and struck the jaw of the lion.

"_HENSHIN!_"

With a roar, the lion's mouth and eyes opened. Azure light seemed to pour from its eyes as a wall of golden energy materialized in front of Lee. Slowly, the wall came over his body, changing it as it touched him. Soon, he wore an all-gold suit of armor. His torso was covered by armor modeled after a roaring lion, its blue eyes piercing through all who it saw, and pauldrons shaped like a lion's claws covered his shoulders. His forearms and shins had bracers and guards covering them, though his left arm was covered by a thick gauntlet that had three claws jutting from it. Beneath all of it was a solid black bodysuit that seemed to be just as strong as the armor. His helmet faintly resembled the head of a lion and had two piercing blue eyes that appeared to be segmented like a bugs and a silver faceguard rested beneath them, shaped to look like a lion's open maw with black filling the void between the teeth.

Clenching his left hand into a fist, Lee thrust it forwards as an unbelievable energy began to flow through his body. "I am the Golden Warrior of Lightning, RaiLeon! Hear my roar!"

"I don't care what you call yourself, because I'm about to burn you to ash!" Zabon declared as fire began to spew from his mouth. Rearing his head back, he unleashed a flurry of fireballs. Lee ran forwards, his left arm reared back and readied to strike, and managed to avoid the onslaught. When he was finally within striking distance, he struck out with his fist, the air around it crackling with electricity. There was an audible crack as the punch made contact with Zabon's chestplate and knocked him back. A large chunk of the metal had been cracked and parts of it were falling off as he watched in shock. "You… cracked my armor?" Looking up at the Warrior, he snarled. "Don't think this is the end! Imps, destroy him now!" the General commanded as he slammed his club into the ground, causing a pillar of flame to devour him.

Lee ran forwards to stop him, only for the moth monster and the small creatures known as Imps to jump in his path. _He got away!_

"_It is still a victory, and one that any Guardian Beast would be proud to have achieved," _the lion's voice echoed from inside Lee's head. _"Now, time to finish what Mithras started."_

"Got it." Lee looked down at his hands and grinned beneath his helmet. "I can feel this power coursing through me. It's about time we tested it out!" Running forwards, he delivered a sharp blow to one of the Imps, knocking it back before leaping at another and dropping it with a kick to the chest. As the black creatures began to swarm him, he lashed out with his gauntlet and noted with satisfaction that it cut straight through their hides. A sudden feeling came over him, causing him to raise his right hand into the air. A bolt of lightning shot down and struck it, forming an orb of energy. Pulling his hand from it, he stared at the weapon that had been formed with some surprise.

It was a scimitar-like weapon, with a long, black blade with gold at the edges. The hand guard was modeled after the head of a lion with its mouth open. Giving it a test swing, he found that it was surprisingly light and felt comfortable in his hands. _Another of your powers?_

The lion chuckled. _"Consider it a gift as well."_

"I like it!" Brandishing his new sword, Lee charged into the Imps in front of him, the blade of his weapon flashing with each swing. The creatures fell in droves, black smoke being all that remained of them as he destroyed them one by one. Suddenly, he was gripped from behind and, turning his head, he was annoyed to see the moth monster had grabbed him and was attempting to drag him into the air. "Hey, back it off pal!" he shouted, elbowing it in the face before turning around and kicking it squarely in the chest. It stumbled back into the remaining Imps, who all squealed in anger at him. "Too many to deal with at once…" he muttered. Again, a sudden instinct came over him, telling him exactly what to do. "So, I'll take them all out with one blow!" Bringing the hilt of the sword to the front of the belt, a pulse of energy shot through the blade as the belt roared. He ran the tip of the scimitar in a circular pattern through the air, creating a ring of electricity that quickly solidified into a sphere. Jumping up, he spun forwards and kicked the attack directly at them.

"Lightning Shoot!" he called.

The moth monster, realizing the danger it was in, spread its wings and took to the skies as the sphere crashed into the Imps, destroying all of them in a massive explosion of lightning. "That leaves the annoying one." Lee said, watching as the moth creature circled him from above. It dove towards him, only to be knocked to the ground as he punched it with his gauntlet, the claws tearing through its skin. Rising quickly to its feet, it shrieked before slashing at him with its sharp claws wildly. He dodged the strikes and countered with one of his own, charging past it as his weapon cut through its left wing and severed it. Plunging his sword into the ground, he looked at the moth creature as it struggled to stand, the pain of losing one of its wings too much to bear.

"_End this fight now!"_

"Not a problem." he replied casually as yet another 'instinct' ran through his mind. Bringing his hand down to the mouth of the lion, he flicked its mouth closed before reopening it. A roar came from it as energy began to surge through his body.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Crouching low to the ground, Lee let the energy engulf him as a golden, lion-shaped aura covered his body. With a powerful jump, he leapt high into the air as the energy trailed behind him. At the height of his jump, he turned and aimed his right leg downwards in a kick, directly at the monster. As he came closer to making contact, the aura focused around his leg until it changed into a roaring lion's head. The construct bit down on the monster as his leg made contact, causing it to shriek with pain as it flew back and onto the ground. As Lee slowly stood back up from the finisher, the monster let out a single defeated cry before exploding, leaving a cloud of black dust and a small jewel behind.

"_Lee, grab that jewel!"_ the Guardian Beast commanded. Nodding, Lee ran over to it and picked it up, noting the odd warmth of the crystal. _"So, that really was her Core I sensed… Lee, what you hold in your hand at this very moment is a Core of a Guardian Beast. I have no idea how Mithras got his hands on them, but it seems he has begun to use them to create a new legion of monsters."_

"A new legion that we'll stop." Closing the mouth of the lion, Lee watched as the armor fell from his body, changing into tiny, golden sparks. Taking a quick look around the plaza, he noted with no small degree of satisfaction that all of the people had calmed down and no longer seemed to be acting crazy. "Did stopping that monster do that?"

"Most likely." Lee turned his head and started as he saw that the Guardian Beast was sitting down next to him in its animal form. "Do not be alarmed by this form; no one will be able to see me if I choose for them not to-"

"That was incredible!" Aya said as she ran up to the two of them. "The two of you- you just beat that monster so easily!"

The lion recoiled. "Wha- You can see me?!" Aya nodded, leading to it lowering its head and narrowing its eyes. "How…? No one else can, so how…?" it muttered under its breath.

"I don't see what you're so down about. Aya's a pretty trustworthy person and she's a friend of mine." Lee said. Looking towards Aya, he frowned. "Are you alright? Zabon didn't hurt you did he?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The lizard thing? Other than a few scrapes and bruises, nothing that won't be healed up within a day or so," she answered casually. "Anyways, Lee, you and Leo did fantastically! I don't think I've- no, I've never seen _anything_ like that before."

The lion coughed before looking up at her. "Did you just call me 'Leo'?" When she nodded, it bared its fangs. "Child, I am not a house cat! I am the proud and powerful untamed Spirit of Lightning! My very appearance is enough to make anyone cower before me! Do not give me such an insulting name simply because I am a lion!" it growled.

"Whatever Leo…" she said, rolling her eyes. Ignoring the glare it gave her, she looked at Lee. "So… what do we do now?" The sudden rumbling of Lee's stomach answered the question for him. Laughing, she grasped her embarrassed friend's arm in her hand and began pulling him along. "Come on! There's a great place to eat around here! It's my treat." Turning her head, she looked back at 'Leo.' "You too, Leo! I'll see if we can't get a doggy-bag for you."

Ignoring 'Leo's' indignant roars as to how he was not a house pet, Lee smiled as he followed his friend. _My first day here, and I get to become a super hero. I can already tell this is going to be interesting. _Looking at the sky, his smile broadened.

_Mom, Dad, I'll make you proud._

* * *

**_And so, the first Chapter of the new - and hopefully improved in the eyes of you, the readers - RaiLeon is here! I won't deny the fact that it's very similar to the original Chapter 1, but honestly I felt that the original version did work well, it just needed a bit of polishing. And additional scenes, if that large word count is anything to go by.  
_**

**_So, what can you expect from the new RaiLeon? Well, from the little preview of a future Chapter I gave you all on Tuesday, we can be certain that there's... something that's going to end up fighting both Hell Beasts and Riders. You can also expect more Chapters focused towards the development of the characters, and possibly some that won't even have any Rider action. Don't worry though,those will be few and far between, so if it's not your cup of tea you won't have to worry about too many of them._**

**_Hopefully you've all enjoyed the new Chapter 1, and I hope you'll be sticking around to see the new, original Chapter 2 that I'm working on and all future Chapters. I apologize to everyone who may have been upset that I deleted the old story, but I hope you can come to enjoy this story just as much as you did the original._**

**_Well, with all that being said, I'd like to thank everyone who read this for taking the time to give this story a read. If you'd be so kind as to leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated. Regardless of whether you do or don't, I hope you all have a wonderful day._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Episode 2: A Warrior's Responsibilities**

Sitting in an office at the top of Everlast Tower, Lee shifted awkwardly in his chair, still feeling uncomfortable in the suit that his uncle had provided him for the day – the blasted thing had apparently been Daisuke's when he had been his age, and it was too big in some places and too small in others! _I really wish I'd taken him up on that offer to go buy a suit,_ Lee thought glumly, _but no, I just couldn't have asked for that, could I have?_ A small sigh escaped his lips, which did not go unnoticed by his uncle.

"Lee, I already told you, Mr. Saigo will be here in a few moments. He called and said that he would be running a little late for the meeting," said Daisuke, not picking up on the true sense of his nephew's discomfort. "Trust me, I'm sure he's just as upset that he's late as you are. You should have heard him on the phone when I called him and said I was going to bring you here to meet him – I had to keep him from sending over his own personal car!" Daisuke chuckled and adjusted the tie and collar of his own suit. His face turned solemn as he turned his thoughts to his sister and her husband, his brother-in-law. "You're really the only link he has left to them, Lee, so I hope you too can get along. Did you know he was actually the one who paid for your trip here?"

"He actually did that?" Lee asked, shocked out of his own thoughts. He'd had no idea that his coming to Japan had all been based on this Masaya Saigo's generosity. Until now, he thought his uncle had managed to pay for it himself. "He really went through all that trouble just to be able to meet me…?

Daisuke nodded and smiled, leaning back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head. "Trust me, for Mr. Saigo, it was easy. The entire city of Yakubo basically owes him and Everlast its very existence. This was where he grew up when he was a kid, and by the time he'd formed Everlast the town was falling apart, so in he comes with a suitcase full of cash, a team of construction workers, and his own determination. The man single-handedly managed to turn this town around in all of two years."

"Ah, I don't believe I did it single-handedly, but I won't deny everything you said, Daisuke!"

As amusing as it was to see his uncle nearly fall out of his chair in surprise, Lee still found himself more compelled to look at the man who was standing in the doorway. He wore a steel gray suit with a red tie, the emblem of Everlast stamped on it in black: a circle made of DNA. His black hair was combed back, and he was starting to show signs of graying around his temples. His eyes, though, held a certain charisma to them, and his posture and style of walk made it seem as though he was coming into a room full of old friends, ready to discuss the past few years of their lives. "That'll be all for now, Junkichi. You may go now."

The man who had been standing behind him, clad in an all-black suit, nodded the affirmative. He was much taller than most Japanese men, standing well over six feet, causing him to cut a very imposing figure. The hair that had been gelled back to his neck and the black sunglasses that covered his eyes only added to the intimidation factor, Lee thought. "Very well. I'll be in the car should you need me." Reaching into the front pocket of his suit, Lee involuntarily tensed up as the man pulled out…

_Isn't that one of those magical girl manga?_ Lee wondered, seeing the colorful front cover of the book the man was now reading. There was a large smile on the man's face as he walked away, closing the door as he left. _Well, there goes the intimidation factor._ "So, this young man is the child of my two closest friends!" the CEO of Everlast said as he strode across the room towards them, his arms held out to his sides.

Lee nodded, then got out of his chair and bowed. "Yes sir. I'm Lee- I mean, Leonard Steven-"

"Come now, I know your name already Lee! There's no need to introduce yourself to me, so stand up straight!" Masaya declared, with Lee immediately following his word. To his surprise, the man clamped his hands down on his shoulders and stared at him intensely, like he was trying to take in every single last detail. "Incredible… I can see both Adam and Kazumi in you. It's a pity you took so much after your father though!" The man chuckled at his joke and released Lee, walking past him to Daisuke. "And Daisuke, I can hardly thank you enough for giving me the idea to bring young Lee here over the sea so I could finally meet him. I assure you, if there are any additional expenses brought on you by him being here, I will pay them myself, in full!"

Daisuke's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, and he almost forgot to breathe. "I- Sir, I appreciate the offer, but there's no need for you to go so far for Lee and I!" Lee silently agreed, though in the back of his mind he was beginning to wonder if his living with his uncle actually was putting any financial strain on the man. Before he could even consider to voice this thought, Masaya loudly clapped his hands together.

"Nonsense!" he said in a booming voice. Stepping away from them and towards the windows that gave a beautiful view of both the city and the surrounding area, he clasped his hands behind his back. "While I do not take sole credit for the revitalization of my home, I will not deny that I and Everlast both aided in its revival! This company, the company that I built with my own two hands, was a creation which both Adam and Kazumi supported in full. They encouraged me every step of the way until I reached where I stand now, and without them I would never have found the success that I have and my beautiful home would be little more than a ghost town." Turning back to face the two of them, he smiled warmly. "I owe this company and my success to Adam and Kazumi, and I shall be damned for eternity before I allow any member of their family to go without aid, not if I can help it."

If Daisuke had been stunned by Masaya's offer, then Lee was absolutely floored by what the man had just declared. _He really cares that much…? I… I just can't believe that this… this man is willing to do so much for me and Uncle Daisuke._ Finally finding his voice, Lee managed to choke out, "Thank you, Mr. Saigo-"

"Please, don't call me that – call me Masaya, please."

"O-Okay, Masaya," Lee gulped nervously before continuing, still completely taken off guard by this man, "and I promise that both my uncle and myself will keep your offer in mind; we just don't want to take advantage of your generosity. I mean, you've already paid for my flight here; for me, there's nothing more you could really do. Honestly, I don't think I can thank you enough for giving me the chance to come here to Japan."

"Just a shame you had to come when you did," Daisuke sighed from beside him. "Man, I still can't get over what I heard on the news yesterday."

"Yes, the monster attack." Masaya's face turned grim and he looked over his shoulder, down towards Yakubo. "To think, monsters actually exist. And of all the places to attack, they choose my home, my glorious home. I think Junkichi was just as surprised as I was; according to him, monster attacks are only supposed to happen in Tokyo." He chuckled weakly at his joke before turning back to face the tow Hirayama's and sighed bitterly. "Unfortunately, due to yesterday's events, both the members of the board and Junkichi have recommended that I put off what I had planned for today for another time, and while I don't really care what the board has to say, Junkichi has been a good friend for quite some time and I can't really help but listen to his advice. I was so looking forwards to taking you on a personal tour of Yakubo, Lee, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until another day."

Lee shrugged. "I guess that's just life… Though I don't remember monster attacks happening back home, so maybe it isn't." As Masaya laughed at Lee's joke – and Lee mentally noted just how easy it seemed to make this man laugh – the young man inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. _I promised Aya and Leo, that I'd meet them at the park._ Glancing at a nearby clock, Lee winced as he saw he was already thirty minutes late.

It had only been a day since Lee had taken on the mantle of RaiLeon, and despite how quickly he acted in beating the moth monster, the damages that it, Zabon, and those black creatures – Imps, Lee reminded himself – had caused still had to be repaired, and several people had been hospitalized, either from monster attacks or from other people who had gone mad from the moth's dust. Earlier this morning Leo had practically ordered Lee to come with him so that they could train for future battles and so Leo could further explain the situation.

Lee had never been quite as scared as he had been that morning when he told Leo that he already had plans that couldn't be canceled that day.

After Leo's immense lightning-fueled tantrum, Aya had called, wanting to hang out. When he'd told her that he would be busy, she had been upset, until he let slip that Leo was going to talk about just who or what he was, and just who this 'Mithras' was. She immediately asked where and when it was going to happen, and, despite Leo protesting loud enough for Aya to hear over the phone, Lee had managed to make plans to meet up with them at twelve in a park that was relatively close to where yesterday's incident had occurred. He would be a little late at this rate, but he doubted that they'd be too mad.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I can't take you both out to eat at my favorite restaurant in town!"

Or, he could be in deep trouble with the both of them.

Grimacing as Masaya led both of them out of the office, Lee could only imagine what Aya and Leo were doing right now.

* * *

"So these… These 'cellular phones,' they allow you humans to talk with each other as if you were standing beside the other person?"

"Well, yeah pretty much, but they've also got a lot of other features. You can text each other, you can search the internet, watch videos, take pictures and videos, and play all kinds of games on them. They're really kinda cool!"

"Hmm… It seems as if you humans have just gotten lazier in the past few hundred years. A Guardian Beast would never allow themselves to be taken in by such a device. Such behavior would be disgraceful to our very name. Good to see that not much has changed, though; you humans always were something of a lazy bunch, using all of your abilities to make your own lives easier."

"Hey! …I'm not that lazy!"

"We shall see about that, though I doubt you will change my opinion. Now, about this 'internet,' I have one question: what kind of net is it?"

* * *

Malrok sighed wistfully as he looked around the Vault. It was a large cavern, with shelves dug into the sides of the wall. Lining the shelves were various Cores, all giving off different colors of light. As his eyes scanned over them all, he paused when he came to one empty spot, formerly the home of the Moth Guardian Beast's Core.

"Of course things would become complicated, wouldn't they?" he asked aloud. No response came; he didn't expect one, really. "It took me years, damnable decades, to collect all of these damnable Cores, and now, not only have I lost one, I've found that a living Guardian Beast has managed to escape my sight." He clutched at the tome in his hand tightly, anger beginning to build in his chest. "Our plans have only just begun; allowing this… _RaiLeon_ to continue interfering would bring Lord Mithras nothing but trouble!"

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately two Cores flew into his hand: one black as the night, with silver light radiating from it, and the other light tan mixed with dark green. Nodding in approval at his choices, he turned away, and began to exit the room.

"_**Malrok…"**_

"Lord Mithras!" The sorcerer froze in surprise, his back arching stiffly. Slowly turning on his heel, he saw a swirling black cloud materialize in the middle of the room, a red, eye-shaped jewel embedded in the center. Immediately he knelt down, crossing one arm over his chest. "Milord, I am your humble servant. To what do I owe the honor of being addressed by yourself personally?" Despite his words, Malrok could feel the panic welling inside of him. His worst fear was starting to catch up with him. He had not been granted permission to take the Cores from the Vault, but had only done so in order to ensure his Lord Mithras' prosperity. Surely Lord Mithras understood why he was taking the two Cores?

"_**I assume the two Cores that you have taken just now are for some plan of yours, aren't they?"**_ Mithras' voice was slightly distorted by the cloud, though the cold, calculating tone that he always held could still be heard clear as day. _**"Tell me: does this have anything to do with the recent reappearance of the Lion Guardian Beast?"**_

"I felt it was imperative to act immediately, before this RaiLeon character is able to delay our plans."

"_**Do you believe that he is capable of doing so? Or perhaps you doubt my ability to handle the Guardian Beast and his Host should the time come…"**_

"Never, milord!" Malrok felt a pulse of fear run through his body as he realized what he had insinuated. "I have no doubts in my mind that you could crush RaiLeon with only an ounce of your power should the time come; I merely wish to end him now, so that we might be able to continue with our plans immediately."

The cloud was silent, with the eye-shaped jewel staring down at the sorcerer as if it were judging him. A deep, rumbling chuckle made Malrok lift his head, if only slightly. _**"Actions speak far louder than words, Malrok. I understand what it is you desire to accomplish, though I only have one question for you."**_ The cloud moved closer to Malrok, and the sorcerer recoiled instinctively. _**"Do you know who it was who managed to mortally wound me centuries ago, ending my conquest and forcing me into slumber?"**_ A choking sound escaped Malrok's throat as realization struck. _**"Take care in facing this one. I do not doubt the danger this RaiLeon may possess, and I have very few doubts that should he be allowed to gain more strength, he could very well become a true threat to my plans."**_

"Then should we not act now, milord? Should we not end him before he has the chance?"

_**Patience, my sorcerer." **_Mithras chuckled. _**"I do not deny what I have said to be true – I can easily foresee RaiLeon becoming a threat. Yet as it stands he is nothing more than a child learning to use his abilities. I shall allow him to continue to fight his meaningless battles; the moment I feel he has become a danger to my plans, I shall personally crush him." **_The cloud backed away from Malrok, wisps of smoke starting to come off of it. _**"For now, I will allow both you and Zabon to attempt to destroy him yourself. Consider it a bit of friendly competition to inspire fiercer devotion towards the cause."**_

"A-as you command, Lord Mithras," Malrok said with a low bow. The jeweled eye flashed, and the cloud vanished into wispy threads of black smoke. Still somewhat shaken, Malrok rose to his full height and looked appraisingly at the two Cores in his hand. "I cannot begin to understand why Lord Mithras would simply allow the Guardian Beast and its Host to continue living… but if he has chosen not to interfere directly, I shall not question his choice." Clutching the Cores tightly, the sorcerer brought his tome to his chest and exited the Vault, the massive doors slamming shut behind him.

* * *

Elsewhere in Mithras' fortress, the Emperor's throne room was completely silent, save for the crackling of fires. Torchlight lit the room, sconces connected to black pillars that led the way up to the throne itself. Hanging on the wall behind the throne was the black banner that heralded Mithras himself; emblazoned upon it in red was an open eye set inside of what appeared to be an upside down, stylized Y. Upon the throne itself was the Emperor of All He Sees, Mithras.

His body was covered in armor, the only openings on it at the helmet, where his eyes gazed out. Metal boots and leg metal covered his lower half, with black metal breaking it up at the knee; from his lower legs, just before the knee, a plate of metal extended out at an angle, tapering off to a point. His torso was clad in crimson, with the sides being completely black. Connected to the place where his shoulders met his body were curved plates of metal, with intricate designs carved into them. His arms were, again, completely clad in crimson armor, with the elbows being black. His hands, however, were covered in black metal; only the backs of his hands, up to his fingers, held any red. The helmet that donned his head had five horns crowning it: the two furthest from the sides curved outward slightly before returning inwards, while the centermost stood straight up. The two in between were shorter and straight light the centermost. His eyes were two small yellow lights that shone out from within the black void of his helmet.

Said eyes were currently focused on one of the hundreds of screens that filled the throne room, each formed from the same black smoke as the Eyes of Mithras that were showing him the images portrayed in each screen. The Eyes were a symbol of pride to him, and they had been undoubtedly important in his previous attempt at conquest. No one save for those he allowed to could see them, allowing him to see battlefields, war rooms, secret meetings – anything that may have proved of importance to him. They held other abilities as well, though the most important to him was their ability to reliably gather information for him.

Now, though, only two caught his active interest. One portrayed the young Host, sitting in a fancy restaurant in clear discomfort that somehow went unnoticed by the two older men sitting at the table with him, their meal just now coming to a close. "Still so young, and yet you've chosen to take up such a difficult role: that of a warrior. There are very few who would do so. What makes you different from the rest, Host?" His eyes strayed to the men sitting beside him. One seemed of little importance, and due to the familiarity that the young Host spoke with towards the man, Mithras assumed him to be of familial relation. The other, however, was a man who seemed to make both others slightly uncomfortable, which in conjunction with the sheer amount of confidence the man held in his tone and posture – as well as the fact that it appeared he was the one paying for the rather lavish meal – led Mithras to believe this was a man of power. "He seems to know the Host, and looks to be of some importance. I shall keep an Eye on him."

And with a flick of his wrist, Mithras indeed created another of his Eyes that began to float behind the man, another screen forming in the air.

Deciding he had seen enough of the Host, Mithras turned his attention to the other screen that had held his interest. It showed a young woman, dressed in red and white, talking to the Lion Guardian Beast. Not directly, of course – a lion sitting in the middle of a public area would no doubt cause quite the panic, and Mithras noted with some amusement that the young woman was speaking into her phone and was avoiding looking directly at the Guardian Beast. Still, he couldn't help but focus on the girl with interest. She was an anomaly, and Mithras always had a faint curiosity for those sorts of things that didn't quite line up in the grander scheme.

It was rare that a normal human could see a Guardian Beast, unless it purposefully revealed itself to them. Occasionally, a human would be capable of catching glimpses of a Guardian Beast in the edges of their vision, or they would see the residual energy a Beast Core released as it hibernated: phantom images that the human mind would somehow rationalize into ethereal shapes that resembled the human figure. In other words, ghosts.

Funnily enough, it had actually been these reports of these 'ghosts' appearing around the world that had led Malrok to finding and claiming a good majority of the Cores currently in their possession.

Still, it was rare for a human to be able to clearly see a Guardian Beast fully, such as this young woman. Such men and women rarely were seen as sane in days long past, when the Guardian Beasts were much greater in number and roamed the lands more freely, and fewer still found themselves able to cope with seeing these beings of fantastic might wandering about. _Perhaps_, Mithras mused, _in some form of twisted irony, I have done a great service to humanity by defeating the Guardian Beasts. With so few able to be seen, the few humans with this gift are unable to be overwhelmed. _A chuckle escaped him. _Though I doubt any history of my deeds would agree with this view._

He forced any musings from his mind as something flickered in the image. Immediately he held up a hand, stopping the image. "Go back," he ordered, and the Eye obeyed. Its memory of the past few moments began to play again, and Mithras scrutinized every moment with a fervent intensity, his eyes darting about the images on the screen until-

"Incredible."

-he found what he was looking for.

It occurred only for a moment, but he had seen it. He replayed what had been happening on the screen in his mind's eye: the girl had been talking to the Guardian Beast, when the Beast had said something that had offended the girl, if the look on her face meant anything. At that moment, a faint red glow, barely visible, had wrapped itself around her clenched hand.

Mithras studied the image, his mind storing all of this information someplace where he would be able to reach it in the future. "It would appear that the young Host has made interesting friends," he noted, eyes fixated on the girl. "I shall be keeping watch over you for the time being. You may just prove to be more than you believe yourself to be."

* * *

Lee shuddered involuntarily as he sat on his bed, a feeling of imminent dread overtaking him. _Oh, I am dead when Leo gets ahold of me… and then Aya's going to pulverize whatever's left of my spirit._ A quick glance at his phone, which was currently connected to a charger that was plugged into the wall, helped to confirm his fears.

55 missed messages.

All of them from Aya.

None of them pleasant.

With a groan of frustration, Lee fell back onto his bed and shut his eyes. It seemed that someone had simply been out for his blood today. As if it weren't bad enough that Masaya had insisted, somewhat forcibly, that he treat him and Daisuke to lunch at a restaurant located on the _other side of the city, _Lee had found during a quick escape to the restroom that, much to his dismay, his phone had outright died at some point during the day. To make matters worse, he had a good idea as to why it had died.

Before he had left for Japan, his aunt, upon doing some research on the country her nephew was going to, had discovered that some appliances made in America may not work in Japan. So, out of the goodness of her heart, she informed him of this. As Lee was, at the time, a bit too worked up to think entirely rationally, he had immediately gone online and had ordered a phone charger that would supposedly work on his phone no matter what country he was in. And as a plus, it was being sold at a decent discount, so naturally he bought it.

Suffice it to say, upon returning to the apartment today, he had plugged his phone into the charger only to find out that it, in fact, was not charging his phone at all.

Daisuke had to physically restrain him from shoving it into the garbage disposal.

_Stupid faulty discount charger,_ he thought bitterly. _…Stupid faulty brain for thinking it would be a good idea to buy the stupid faulty discount charger._

The sound of something tapping on his window caught his attention, and, hesitantly, he craned his head up to see what it was.

Leo's feline eyes bored holes into him, and despite being a lion Lee could very well see the obvious irritation on the Guardian Beast's face. Swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, Lee slowly got off of his bed and walked to the window. "Now Leo," he started, trying to keep his voice steady, "I know that you're not exactly happy with me for not showing up." Seeing the lion's expression darken further, Lee balked and held his hand up. "Okay, you're probably closer to extremely angry-"

"Try 'furious', maybe 'incensed', or perhaps 'slightly _enraged_', and you may get a better idea," Leo hissed, electricity flicking off his mane. He tapped a claw against the window pane again. "Open this window, now!" With a growl, he added, "Before I decide to break it."

Eyes widening almost comically, Lee flung the window open and stepped aside as Leo jumped into his room, the Lion Guardian Beast taking up a decent amount of space in the room. "Now then, would you care to tell me where you were all day? A Host and their Guardian Beast are supposed to have an unbreakable bond, an inseparable connection to one another, yet not only did you _lie_ to me about us meeting together-"

"I didn't lie, I was delayed!"

"Don't interrupt!" Leo bellowed, his roar of anger causing the light in the room to flicker. "You said you would do something, and you did not: that is the very definition of a lie!" Lee felt tempted to actually give him the official definition of a lie from a dictionary, but held off upon seeing how angry the Guardian was. "I placed trust in your decision to wait and tell you _vital information_ on our enemy, and you shattered it! Time has been wasted, and now Mithras could very well be several steps ahead of us. He is not to be underestimated; he will take every opportunity he can to advance whatever his plan is, and now we've practically _handed him_ several hours' worth of time to prepare!"

"Are you sure you're not just overreacting?" Lee flinched at Leo's glare, but steeled himself a moment later. He was really starting to get tired of getting yelled at, and if it wasn't for the fact that his uncle was currently taking a nap in the living room he'd start yelling back. "Look. I don't even know what Mithras is planning – and yes, I know that's what you were going to tell me today, so don't start yelling – so excuse me if I don't have the same crazed sense of urgency that you have. Hell, did you ever consider that this is a bit much for me to take in? I was just a normal guy the other day, now I'm some kind of warrior fighting an evil emperor."

"You agreed to take up the fight against Mithras."

"And I will!" Taking a breath to calm himself down, Lee continued, "But I've got other responsibilities besides that. You know why I wasn't at the park today? I was meeting the man who _brought _me here. The man who paid for my plane ticket here, who offered to pay for all my living expenses, and who was best friends with my parents. He wanted to see me so badly that he rescheduled an important board meeting that was going to be held today, just so he could see his two best friends' son for the first time." He leaned forwards, coming face-to-muzzle with Leo. "If that man hadn't done that, I wouldn't have come here, and you wouldn't have me as a Host. All he wanted to do was see me, to say hello. I think that _you_ owe him at least that much."

The two of them stayed that way for a while, neither flinching under the other's gaze until Leo's head jerked to the side suddenly. His eyes narrowed and his ears flattened against his skull. "I smell another creature, just like the one from yesterday," he said. "It's not far from here." Looking back at Lee, he saw the young man scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving a note for my uncle," Lee snapped, his patience having finally wore thin. "He's letting me live here. I at least can tell him I'm going out for a little while." Leo looked away, mentally cursing himself.

"Fine. Just hurry. I don't want it getting away."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Lee and Leo were standing in front of an office building, staring up at the rooftop. "It's all the way up there, huh?" Lee asked, already dreading the trek up. "I don't suppose you can fly me up there."

"Not unless you wish to be electrocuted by pure lightning," Leo replied. "However, I fear that this is a trap. It has not left this spot since I first caught its scent, and there is no one around for it to attack." Closing his eyes, Leo tilted his head to the side and pondered on the best course of action. "Climbing the building itself would not be wise, as you would expend energy that could be otherwise be used to fight it. Still, we cannot just allow it to remain up there, as someone may stumble across-"

"It just jumped!"

"What!?" Snapping his eyes open, Leo looked up, eyes wide in shock as he saw a pitch black figure descending from the roof of the building, approaching them rapidly. "Lee, quickly!" he said before turning into a sphere of electricity and flying into Lee's chest. Instantly the belt formed around the young man's waist.

"Henshin!" he called, flicking open the lion's mouth. The belt roared as the golden wall of lightning formed in front of him, quickly washing over his body to form the armor of RaiLeon, his sword already in hand. He raised it just in time to block an attack from the monster, though it still managed to deliver a sharp kick to his chest as it jumped away, the light of a nearby street lamp revealing its form.

It was covered in jet black fur, dark as the night's sky. It was built like a normal human, with lean muscle showing beneath its skin, and resembled a panther. Any resemblance to a human ended, however, once one noticed the grayish-blue metal that was growing out of its body. Serrated blades extended from its wrists, the light of the lamp glinting malevolently off of their edges. Its feet were covered entirely in metal, with a blade emerging from the back of the leg acting almost like a heel. More metal covered its chest and upper arms. Its tail, which was flicking anxiously back and forth, had a long blade extending from the tip that would occasionally strike the ground with enough force to throw up a spray of sparks. The head had feline traits to it, and two blades curved out from the back of its head to the front. It regarded them both with cold, orange eyes.

"_Panther…"_ Leo whispered. He was currently inside of Lee's mind, the best possible place to offer any sort of tactical support to his Host. It was almost as if he were floating in a vast void; whether or not that meant Lee was empty headed was unclear to him. At the moment, all the images Lee saw were transferring themselves directly to his own eyes, and he was not liking what stood before them at all.

"You know him?"

"_Somewhat… He is the Guardian Beast of Blades. In the past, any weapon that would receive his blessing was a tool of destruction upon the battlefield. Men would fall like wheat to a sickle in the presence of such a blade." _The lion growled slightly. _"He was one of the many Guardian Beasts to be seen as a deity of war by humans because of this; I fear he was one of the few to let it get to his head. As a Guardian, there were few fighters more prideful and confident than he."_

"So I should probably be careful when fighting him, is basically what you're saying." Lee flexed his free hand open and closed, shifting his stance to prepare for the fight. "Any advice you can give me on how to fight him?"

"_Don't let him hit you._"

Lee was about to reply back with a sarcastic comment when the former Guardian Beast let out a yowl of annoyance and lunged forwards, closing the distance between itself and the Golden Warrior with surprising speed. Lee barely managed to block a swipe from one of its wrist-blades with his sword, and quickly countered with a strike from his clawed gauntlet. The monster's other hand shot up and caught the punch, leaving the two in a brief deadlock. It was broken when the monster's bladed tail shot out from behind and raked itself across Lee's chest, throwing up a shower of sparks as it struck his armor.

"Ah!" Lee cried out, stumbling back in pain – and inadvertently leaving a perfect opening for the former Guardian Beast, who jumped forwards and delivered a strong kick to its opponent's chest. Lee fell to the ground, the wind driven from his body, and let out a cry as he rolled out of the bladed tail that was coming straight for his neck. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed the monster, swinging away with his sword as he tried to find an opening in its defenses. Every swing, however, was blocked or deflected by the monster's wrist blades; apparently, despite its transformation into a monster, the Panther Guardian Beast had retained its skill in combat. The fact that the bladed tail it possessed capable of acting as a third limb didn't help matters, as it constantly scored hits on Lee's armor.

Finally, with a growl, the monster lashed out with its tail and wrapped it around the blade of Lee's weapon. "What!?" Lee cried, shocked. He didn't have time to react as the monster wrenched the sword from his hand and threw it to the side with a flick of its tail. Growling, Lee backed away, eyes flicking back and forth between his discarded weapon and the monster that was slowly advancing towards him. "Leo, what do I do? I can't even get a hit in on it!"

"_I'm honestly disappointed you haven't already figured out the solution." _Leo snorted from within Lee's mind, and somehow the young man could perfectly picture the smirk that was on the lion's face. _"Maybe you would be doing better had you came to the meeting today, as we had agreed upon._"

"Is now really the time!?" Lee snapped, rolling to the side to avoid a tail slash from the monster. "Look, I did what I had to do. I've got other responsibilities!"

"_Be that as it may, look where those other responsibilities have gotten you!"_

"You can't actually be telling me that it's my fault that I'm fighting something stronger than me!" As the tail-blade came flying at him again, Lee let out roar of frustration and swung his gauntlet at it, trying to simply deflect it. He didn't notice the crackling electricity that had formed on the claws until the two weapons connected, a shower of sparks flying from the impact. For Lee, his arm was simply knocked away, but for his feline opponent, the effect was far more drastic.

The electricity from the gauntlet transferred into the monster's bladed tail, the metal acting as a perfect conductor. The monster let out a pained yelp as electricity ran throughout its body, aided by the metal that grew from its skin, paralyzing it.

Lee simply stared at the display in shock.

"It _can't_ be that easy," he muttered, looking down at his gauntlet. It was normal again, no electricity running along the claws. "But if it really is…" He focused on the gauntlet, imagining the way it had acted previously. Sparks of yellow lightning began to flicker between the claws, and a moment later it was coated again in electricity, eliciting a cry of victory from the young man. "Alright, let's see how kitty likes getting clawed!"

The former Panther Guardian Beast had just recovered from its electrocution and was staggering to its feet when Lee pounced upon it, raking his charged claw across its chest. The monster howled in pain as electricity surged through its body again. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lee began unleashing a flurry of punches at the monster's head, each hit hard enough to make its head snap back, before finishing with an electrically-charged uppercut from his clawed gauntlet that knocked it off its feet. It landed on the ground in a heap, spasms wracking its body.

"_Not bad… Now finish it!"_

"I am, I am," Lee sighed, moving his hand down to his belt and flicking the lion's mouth up. "Time for you to hear me roar," he quipped as he reopened the lion's mouth.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Electricity covered Lee's form as he crouched low to the ground, forming the lion-shaped golden aura around his body. Leaping into the air, Lee twisted around at the height of his jump and tucked in his left leg, right leg remaining extended. The energy covering his body amassed around his foot, forming a roaring lion's head, and with a savage cry he made impact, the resulting explosion lighting up the night.

Lee crouched low to the ground, panting. _I'm really not used to this,_ he thought. _If I'd had to fight that thing any longer, I don't think I'd have made it._ Shaking his head, he moved to deactivate the transformation when something shot out of the flames. "Wha- Ah!" He barely managed to hit the ground as the object flew over him, striking the side of a nearby building with enough force to crack the wall. "What was that?" the young man asked as he got to his feet, staring into the smoke to see what had attacked him.

"_Lee, there's another enemy!"_

Just as Leo spoke, something struck Lee from behind, knocking him to the ground. A clawed hand roughly grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over; much to both Host and Guardian Beast's surprise, it was the former Panther Guardian Beast. There were places where its fur had been burnt off, revealing pale pink flesh beneath, but it otherwise appeared unharmed. With an angry hiss, it grabbed Lee by the throat and began to drag him along the ground, running faster and faster before finally throwing him into the air.

"How did that thing-"

Lee's question was cut off as a heavy weight slammed into his back, slamming him back into the ground with enough force that Lee swore he felt something break. Struggling to lift his head, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the monstrous panther walk up to stand beside another figure.

The figure was large and bulky, a sharp contrast to its sleeker partner. Thick, trunk-like legs supported its frame. Covering its lower legs were thick brown growths that looked similar to the pattern of a tortoise shell. Its torso was muscular, with a wide, powerful chest. Its chest and abdomen were covered by the same brown growth on its chest, exposing the deep green flesh on its sides. The arms were just as thick and powerful looking as the legs, with the brown growths coming from the shoulders and extending down to its elbows. In either of its four-fingered hands, it held a large, tortoise-shell shaped shield. The top of its head was entirely made of the brown growths, with dull yellow eyes that stared at Lee impassively.

"_Tortoise as well!?" _The panic in Leo's voice was palpable. _"Lee, this is not a battle we can win, not as injured as you are. The Tortoise was the Guardian Beast of Shields, and was capable of making any shield nigh-impenetrable. If he and the Guardian Beast of Blades are working together… I can think of few combinations deadlier…"_

Lee growled as he looked at the two monsters before him, standing in the flames. They looked down on him, and he could imagine the mockery in their eyes. Slowly, he pushed himself to a sitting position, crying out when he felt a stab of pain in his left arm. "Leo," he gasped, trying not to focus on the pain – his arm was injured, he was certain of it. Whether it was broken or not, he couldn't tell. "Leo… we have to keep fighting."

"_What!? Lee, no! It's far too risky in your present condition! You don't have the experience needed to fight these two!"_

"And I might never have it! But if I run, what's to stop them from following me anyway?" He staggered to his feet, cradling his left arm. "I can't lead them back home… Uncle Daisuke could get killed…"

"_**You'll**__ get killed if you attempt to fight these two! Please, Lee, you have to run," _Leo pleaded, only to grit his teeth together when he realized he simply wasn't reaching the young man. _The fool will get himself killed. He's so young, so inexperienced… and so much like his predecessor._ Sighing in defeat, the lion nodded. _"Very well. We shall keep fighting, but first, you'll need to heal."_

"And how do I do that?" The words had scarcely left Lee's mouth when a faint green light began to shine from the side of his belt. Looking down, he saw a small container that he hadn't noticed before. Opening it, he saw, to his surprise, the Core he had taken from the monster he'd fought yesterday. "Where did- Why is it-"

"_The Guardian Beast within can lend us her powers. Place the Core in the belt and close it."_

Lee nodded, still confused. Taking the Core, he placed it into the mouth of the lion and shut the lion's mouth.

"**Moth! Spirit of Healing Spores!"**

"'Healing Spores'?" Lee questioned, only to receive his answer as green energy began to fall from the sky and land on his body. Everywhere they touched, he immediately felt a wave of intense relief; even his arm no longer felt injured. "I feel great!" he declared after a few moments, flexing his left hand and taking pleasure in the fact that he felt no pain from it. As th last of the spores faded away, the lion's mouth popped open, the Core's light dimmer than it had been. Silently thanking it, Lee removed the Core and placed it back into the container. "I've got to say, I'm thankful for her help…though I'm still wondering how she's the Spirit of 'Healing Spores'…"

Leo was about to say something, when the panther monster, having finally had enough with waiting, screeched loudly and charged the Golden Warrior. Acting quickly, Lee dodged to the side, lashing out with a kick that caught the monster in the back and made it stumble forwards. As fate would have it, its foot landed directly on the handle of Lee's sword that had been discarded earlier in the fight, throwing it off balance and knocking it to the ground. "I think this is mine," Lee said as he picked the sword up and gave it a test swing.

A loud groan caught his attention, and he turned his head just in time to see the tortoise monster throw one of its shields at him. Raising his sword, he blocked it and the shield flew away. "You know, shields usually don't work that way," he quipped, only to stop short when another shield appeared in the monster's empty hand in a flash of light. "How is that fair!?"

An angry growl from below caught his attention, and he looked down to see that he'd accidentally stepped onto the panther monster's tail, pinning it to the ground. "Oh, shut up!" With a hiss, the monster slammed its palms into the ground and threw itself up, knocking Lee off of it. It turned around and aimed a high kick at his head, only for him to duck low and come up with a strong slash from his blade, scoring a deep gash across the metal chest of the monster. It yowled in pain and backed away, clutching at its injury.

Not willing to lose the advantage, Lee charged the monster, only for its ally to nearly punch his head off with one of its shields. Twisting to avoid another massive blow, he brought the sword down onto its arm. To his surprise, the blade simply bounced off as it hit one of the brown growths on its arm. The former Tortoise Guardian Beast simply grunted and backhanded Lee, who managed to recover his footing just as the panther monster leapt at him, all three of its blades bearing down on him. He blocked the attack and retaliated with a strike from his clawed gauntlet, hitting it where he'd injured it previously. It hissed and backed away, running into the monstrous tortoise behind hit.

For a moment, Lee actually felt slightly confident. Even if he couldn't hurt the big one, he'd already injured the other and he knew its weakness to electricity.

All hopes were shattered when the monsters began to laugh, a raspy chuckle from the panther and a bellowing guffaw from the tortoise. Crouching low to the ground, the panther suddenly flung itself straight up into the air. At the same time, the former Tortoise Guardian Beast reared both of its shields back, dark green energy surrounding the weapons. Lee took an involuntary step back as the former Panther Guardian Beast curled itself into a ball with its tail extended, and began to spin.

"_Lee, move!"_ Leo shouted, realizing that they'd clearly underestimated the intelligence of these monsters. _"It's a combination attack!"_

"What!?"

Spinning faster and faster as it fell back to the ground, a black and silver glow began to envelop the monstrous panther. As it fell in front of its ally, the tortoise monster punched forwards with both of its shields, sending its partner flying forwards in a blur of green, black, and silver that struck Lee dead on.

Lee screamed in pain as he was flung back from the attack, the armor of RaiLeon vanishing as both Host and Guardian Beast fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Mithras watched with amusement as he saw the two monsters – Hell Beasts, Malrok had called them – perform their combined attack. "How interesting. I assumed these creatures were little more than simple beasts. Tell me, Malrok: where did the two of them learn how to fight like this?"

The sorcerer bowed low to the ground. "A simple adjustment I made to my spell after I learned of RaiLeon's existence. A simple mind is fine for following orders, but they can so often be trumped through wit. A boost in their intelligence is all that I gave them." Looking up at the screen, he smirked from beneath his hood. "It seems that my Hell Beasts have also gained some form of combat adaptability; even I hadn't planned on them using an attack such as that."

"This is ridiculous!" Zabon growled, his tail slamming against the ground in anger. The Draconian had finally left his forge, his chest uncharacteristically bare due to him repairing his armor. "Why should mindless beasts such as these two be allowed to have the honor of crushing that Guardian Beast and its Host? Those bastards ruined my armor – I should be the one to deal their deathblows, not them!"

"Perhaps if you spent less time fussing over your armor and more time actually strategizing, you would have," Malrok remarked. This earned a piercing glare from the Draconian, fire already beginning to escape from his jaws as he debated whether or not to roast the sorcerer then and there. A blinding flash of light from the screen, however, stopped him and instead he let out a scream of pain as he covered his eyes, while Malrok let out a cry of surprise and hid his face with a sleeve. "W-what is that!? Where did this light come from!?"

Mithras simply sat back on his throne seemingly unaffected by the brilliant glow, an amused chuckle escaping him. "It would seem we have all underestimated our foes," he remarked. Somehow, this light had managed to completely blind all of his Eyes in the area, flooding his throne room with its radiance. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the screens, returning the room to its normal state of lighting. "Malrok, assuming your monsters are still in one piece and are capable of returning, I want you to learn the name of who attacked them."

"M-milord? Whatever do you mean?" Malrok asked… a nearby pillar, still blind from looking directly into the light. "How are you sure they are being attacked?"

"Do you think an ally would have blinded my Eyes?" Mithras shook his head. "It would appear a new player has emerged in this game."

_One with greater experience than our little RaiLeon, if I am right._

* * *

Both the Panther and Tortoise Hell Beasts were approaching the fallen pair, intent on finishing them off, when a voice from behind caught their attention.

"Two against one is hardly fair play."

"**Light Charge!"**

Turning around, they hissed/groaned in agony as a piercing light assaulted their eyes. Barely visible in the harsh backlight was a figure, a strange bow held in their hands.

A bow that was pointed at them.

"Allow me to even the odds."

And with that said, a beam of pure light fired from the bow, straight at the monsters.

* * *

**_Sorry for this one being shorter than the first. I'm aiming for all of the Chapters for this story to be in the ballpark of 10,000 words apiece. This one, though, was more of a Chapter to setup events for the future. _**

**_I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story. If you'd like to leave a review and give me a little feedback, a little critique, then it would be greatly appreciated. Whether you do or you don't, I hope you all have a wonderful day._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Episode 3: A Warrior Emerges**

"Allow me to even the odds."

The figure released a ray of pure light from their bow, the beam of energy closing the distance between them and the two Hell Beasts with incredible speed. Reacting quickly, the Tortoise Hell Beast raised one of its shields. Green energy poured out from it, forming a large green dome over both it and the Panther Hell Beast. Meanwhile, the monstrous panther crouched low to the ground, preparing to either attack or run.

The shining arrow struck the barrier…

…and the world exploded in a flash of light.

Both Hell Beasts were thrown backwards from the force of the explosion; the Panther struck a nearby lamppost with enough force to snap it in two, while the Tortoise slammed into the wall of a building, rubble falling down and covering the large monster. "Hmm. It would appear I underestimated your abilities," the figure remarked as the light they emitted began to die down. "And to think that I wasted my shot because of it. What a pity." They sighed wistfully, and turned their gaze to the Panther Hell Beast that was currently picking itself up off of the ground. More of its fur had been singed off, and one of the blades on its head had snapped off completely. It caught the figure looking at it and hissed. "Though I suppose there are more ways to skin a cat."

With a sweep of its arm, the figure seemed to dismiss the radiance that had been surrounding it, allowing its true figure to be revealed under the light of the moon. The figure appeared to be male, his body covered from head-to-toe in a pristine white body suit. Bronze armor covered his forearms and shins, made to look like platemail. Covering his chest was another piece of bronze armor, again designed to look like platemail. In the center of the armor was the engraving of an odd beast that seemed to be part horse and part dragon, its green eyes staring at them intensely. Strange projections emerged from the armor on the figures shoulders: a single line of bronze metal that had another piece extend from it midway through, forming something like antlers. The helmet was the same pristine white color as the rest of the suit, with a bronze mouthplate. An intricate pattern of green and bronze lines decorated either side of the face. The eyes of the helmet were the same green as the ones on the creature depicted on the chest, and a pair of antlers similar to those on his shoulders emerged from between them, forming a crest for the helmet.

And around his waist was a white-strapped belt that depicted the head of the creature on his chestplate: bronze horns connected to a white head, with green and bronze lines dancing across its face, mouth open in a silent cry.

There was one thing perfectly clear about this new figure:

It was another Warrior.

Growling at the sight of this new foe, the Panther Hell Beast charged, ready to strike with its wrist-blades. The white Warrior simply sidestepped it as it came close, raising the bow in his hands. The weapon was oddly designed, with the head of the creature in the center of the curve, where an arrow would usually be. At either end of the bow was a set of the bronze antlers the creature seemed to possess, yet there was no string or arrow for him to shoot. The moment his hand touched where a string would be, however, a ray of light shot connected the two antlers together, a silver arrowhead appearing in the mouth of the creature a second later. With a quick pull of the string of light, the full arrow materialized.

The Panther Hell Beast spun around just in time to receive an arrow made of pure light directly to the face, the force behind the shot strong enough to throw it into the air. Acting quickly, the Warrior knelt down and pulled back the bowstring again and again, firing a small barrage of light arrows at the creature as it fell back to the ground. As it landed, the man dashed forwards, the string vanishing from the bow, and slashed at the creature just as it was standing back up. Sparks flew as the antlers – apparently bladed – made contact with the metal on the Hell Beast's body. The monster hissed in agony and desperately attempted to retreat, only for the man to press onwards with the assault; a string of slashes and kicks fell upon the Panther Hell Beast like a relentless rainstorm. Finally, the Warrior finished his assault with a strong side kick to the monster's chest, throwing it through the air.

"It would seem Mithras has underestimated his opposition this time around," the Warrior remarked, the mention of its master causing the Hell Beast to growl weakly at the mysterious fighter. Reaching down to his belt, where a container similar to the one Lee had sat, he opened it. Inside was not one, but three Cores: one an electric blue with flecks of yellow inside, one a mix of dark brown and dull silver, and the last, the one he was choosing, a swirling mix of black and orange. "Perhaps I should send him a message," the Warrior said as he placed the black and orange Core into the mouth of his bow.

"**Bull! Spirit of Gravity!"**

Black and orange energy began to spiral around the mouth of the bow as the Warrior pulled back on the string of light. "He really needs to improve the quality of his troops." Releasing the glowing bowstring, a bolt of black and orange shot out of the mouth of the bow. As it flew, the energy shifted in appearance, becoming a massive black bull that crashed into the Panther Hell Beast horns first. The bull exploded into a transparent black dome, orange energy crackling across its surface as the monster within struggled to even stand. The increase of gravity within the dome was pressing it into the ground with enough force to crack the pavement.

The Warrior merely shook his head and removed the Bull Core from his weapon. "Now, to finish you." Reaching down to his belt, he flicked the mouth of the creature there closed. Before he could open it, however, white energy began to crackle across the surface of his body, and he grunted in pain as he was forced to a knee. "Damn. I took too long…"

A deep groan from the side him caught his attention, and a moment later the Tortoise Hell Beast slammed one of its shields into the side of his head, sending him tumbling to the ground. Turning to its entrapped ally, it charged one of its shields with green energy before throwing it at the dome, shattering it on contact. The Panther Hell Beast collapsed to the ground, physically spent. Running over to its fallen comrade, the monstrous tortoise lifted the Panther Hell Beast onto its shoulder before running away from the battleground, vanishing into the night.

Sighing in frustration upon seeing the two monsters escape, the man rose to his feet, holding his chest as white energy continued to spark off of his body. "Too much energy… I need to rest," he gasped. Stealing a glance at the unmoving forms of Lee and Leo, he shook his head. "The boy's a fool… but perhaps his heart is in the right place." Turning away from the unconscious pair, he began to limp off into the night. _Perhaps, in time, he may very well be able to match Mithras,_ he thought as he dove into an alleyway.

_With any luck, he will never have to._

* * *

Pain.

That one four-lettered word perfectly summed up how Lee felt when he woke up, somehow in his room and on his bed. Granted, there was another four-lettered word that summed up how he felt as well, but he was never too big a fan of harsh language. An attempt to sit up in his bed was met with protest from his ribs, so instead he sat back down and mentally went over everything that was hurting.

After a few moments, he decided to go over everything that was _not_ hurting.

It was a disturbingly short list, consisting only of his head… and oddly enough his toes.

The turning of the doorknob caught his attention, and he managed to crane his neck to see his uncle coming into the room, a tray of food held in his hands. "Ah, finally up I see," Daisuke remarked, failing entirely to act casual. Grabbing the chair from the nearby desk, he dragged it to Lee's bedside and sat the tray down on the bedside table. "You know, I wasn't really sure what to think when I found you at my doorstep midnight last night, looking like you'd just been dragged through the streets. In the end it was a tossup between 'I'm-going-to-beat-his-head-in' angry and 'Oh-God-please-don't-tell-me-he's-dead' worry. Guess which one won out?" his uncle asked, the calm façade finally breaking as he gingerly gave his nephew a hug. "Dammit Lee! I don't know what possessed you to do something like that, but I swear, if you ever pull a stunt like that again then a couple of punks from the Seishin are going to be the least of your worries!"

"The Seishin…?" Lee wondered aloud, stopping short when a set of footsteps started to echo from down the hall.

"I tried to warn him to leave the two of them alone, but it seems your nephew is a bit on the hard-headed side," said a voice that Lee recognized instantly.

"Leo!?" He almost shot up in surprise, only for his aching ribs to remind him of how bad an idea that would be. "What are you doing…" he trailed off when he saw a young man about his age standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

Said young man wore a black jacket with dark yellow sleeves, buttoned halfway up from the bottom. Beneath the jacket was a gray shirt with some kind of intricate black design on it. It took Lee a moment, but he realized that it was the outline of a lion staring off to the side. He wore dark blue pants that were slightly torn around the knees, and black boots covered his feet. As Lee continued to inspect him, he flicked a piece of light brown hair out of his face, blue eyes watching him with amusement.

"…here?" Lee finished lamely, completely taken aback by this person claiming to be the Guardian Beast.

'Leo' tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Did you take a hit to the head? I saw you getting assaulted by those two thugs and helped you take care of them. I guess I was a bit late showing up, though, since you were still pretty badly hurt," 'Leo' explained. "You're lucky you told me and Aya where you lived. I don't think I would've been able to find this place on my own."

"And I'm glad you did," Daisuke said, turning around to face the young man. "Though, I must admit, I still don't remember Lee mentioning you when he was talking about his friends."

'Leo' shook his head. "We only met the other day. It was during the monster attack. I helped get both himself and Aya to a safe place, and we started talking. As it turns out, we had a few things in common and ended up being friends." He gave Lee an amused look. "Though I must admit that it hurts me to know he didn't even mention me."

"Oh, he was probably a little shaken up by everything that happened." Daisuke shrugged, then looked at Lee. "You know, I'm really starting to wonder if trouble just follows you around. First you were there when that monster attacked, now you get jumped by a couple of Seishin thugs… I really didn't think your first few days here in Japan would be so hectic, especially not like this!" He smiled warmly, then became serious, eyes becoming slightly downcast. "If you'd like, I can arrange for a plane to take you back home. I mean, maybe once this monster business is over, you could come back when things are more peaceful."

Lee shook his head adamantly. "No way! I just got here, and I'm not about to let something like a rough start run me off." He looked over at Leo – at this point he was sure that it was somehow Leo; something about the way the young man carried himself reminded him too much of the Guardian Beast. "Besides, I've got Leo here to help me out if I ever get into any trouble again."

"So long as you don't do anything foolish, like needlessly risking life and limb, then I'll be glad to help."

Daisuke looked over his shoulder at the young man, a little confused by what he'd just said, only to dismiss it a moment later. After watching him examine the television from almost every conceivable angle, almost as if he'd never seen one before, he just decided that his nephew had made a few odd friends. Not like he was someone to talk, as he'd met plenty of oddballs that he was proud to call friends. Like that old man he'd met who seemed to have made a sport out of eating rice. A little odd, sure but the man had been decent company.

He still wasn't sure why everyone called him owner, though, if he didn't own the restaurant.

It was still better than the time he ran into that guy going crazy about some 'destroyer of worlds'…

Looking back at his nephew, he put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, well, now that I know you're safe, you should know that you're grounded. Big time."

Lee simply sighed and lowered his head, resigning himself to whatever fate his uncle had in store for him.

* * *

"Milord, know that I would never question you, but… shouldn't we be doing _something_ about this new Warrior?" Malrok asked, his head tilted to the side as he looked up at Mithras, who simply looked down at him with those lights that were his eyes. "I have experienced the memories of my Hell Beasts, and what they have shown me… This new Warrior is far more experienced and powerful than RaiLeon – even you have attested to this fact!"

"Do you doubt my capabilities to handle this Warrior on my own, Malrok?" Mithras questioned, a hint of amusement to his voice. "I know who this Warrior is, or at least I know who he might be, and I am more than confident that he shall not prove to be too great a threat to my power."

The sorcerer shook his head vigorously. "Milord that is not what I mean! I am simply trying to address the issue at hand: that my Hell Beasts are far too outmatched to be able to combat that Warrior again should he reappear!"

Zabon, who had been leaning forward with his club supporting him, snorted in amusement as his tail swayed to and fro. "Really now? I think the real issue is _you _putting too much faith in those little creations of yours. Don't get me wrong; they've got their uses, I'm sure. But when it comes down to it, sometimes you've just got to handle things yourself, not rely on some magical garbage like you do."

"If I recall, the last time you tried to 'handle things yourself,' you retreated the moment RaiLeon so much as nicked your oh-so-precious armor," Malrok snapped back, causing the Draconian's face to twist into a snarl, though that was soon replaced by calm smile. "And what, might I ask, has you looking so smug?" the sorcerer asked in an irritated tone.

"Just the thought of how I'm going to beat RaiLeon's head into the ground without a scratch on me, all thanks to my new and improved armor." Zabon tapped his new chestplate, the metal now a deep green in color. However, his chest was no longer the only thing covered by armor; his stomach had been covered by what appeared to be coils of dark brown metal that seemed rather flexible. Around his wrists were armbands made of the same green armor, the metal molded to look like the head of some ferocious reptile. A skirt of green plate armor circled his waist, reaching the ground, while leaving the front of his legs exposed and revealing the metallic coverings on his shins, exact copies of the ones on his arms. Even his tail was covered by the brown coils of metal, placed so that they would not interfere with the appendages natural ability to move.

With the smile still on his face, Zabon stood to his full height and rested his club on his shoulder. "I may be a Draconian but don't think I'll let my pride completely blind me; I never thought we'd be facing an opponent the likes of RaiLeon, so I let myself be careless. This armor, though? _This_ is true armor for a warrior of my people!" he boasted. The smile soon dropped off of the reptile's face, however, and he stared off into space. "Though I swear he'll pay for damaging my armor like he did. Oh, how he'll pay." His tail thrashed in anger, slamming into the ground with finality.

"Bah. Once a failure, always a failure," Malrok spat, shaking his head. "You believe that armor such as that will protect you from the blade of the Warrior? Did it protect your people from the Guardian Beasts – oh, I suppose it didn't, seeing as you're the only one left!"

Zabon's eyes went wide and his entire frame swelled in rage. "How… _dare you!?_" he shouted, fire falling freely from his maw. Sensing an oncoming fight, Malrok lifted his hand and formed a sphere of darkness, his tome already resting open in his other hand. The fight ended before it could begin, however, when a massive crimson sword flew down and stabbed the ground between the two rivals, the force of its impact knocking both of them to the ground as the very foundation of the temple seemed to shake.

"Enough!" Mithras stated as he began to descend from his throne. "I am sorely disappointed in the both of you – unsurprised, but disappointed. Ever since I brought the two of you into my army, you have fought tooth and claw against each other, like children! I have allowed it, even encouraged it, as it pushed the two of you further and further, molded you into being the best you could be, but if the end result will be the two of you attempting to destroy each other?" Grabbing the sword's handle with his hand, Mithras effortlessly tore it out of the floor. The blade simply vanished into nothingness as Mithras placed his hands behind him, clasping them together. "Zabon, what do you fight for?"

The reptilian general didn't even hesitate in his reply. "To avenge those who fell at the hands of the Guardian Beasts and to create a place for a new generation of Draconians to be born!"

Mithras nodded. "And Malrok, what of you?"

The sorcerer was quiet for a moment, and then he answered softly, "For the chance to see a new world born. One free from the endless cycle of destruction that has plagued the current one, where no foolish, petty squabbles will end in the deaths of those who deserved to live."

The conviction and power the sorcerer's voice held visibly shocked Zabon, the Draconian's jaw going slack for a moment, only to snap out of it once Mithras began to speak. "And my motivation is to guide humanity and all species of this world into a new age, as was foretold by Fate," he said, his tone powerful and confident. "This is why I allowed the two of you to ascend and become generals amongst my forces. We share a common goal: to create a new world for the benefit of all. Would it not better ourselves to work together instead of trying to slay one another over such a foolish thing as pride, something I fear that both of you have lost yourselves to?" Before either general could speak, he held up one hand. "Go. Deal with the Warrior RaiLeon as you see fit, but know that the new Warrior is not to be approached under any circumstance."

With their orders received, both generals diligently obeyed and left the throne room, leaving Mithras to his own thoughts. Once outside, Zabon stopped Malrok and eyed the sorcerer suspiciously. "I believe that is the first time that I have heard why you fight. I'd thought you just some follower of Mithras, but to hear you actually have your own motives for joining him? Really now?"

Malrok shook his head. "Draconian… Zabon, hear me and listen well. I have fought for my new world for longer than I can remember, yet I was never able to come close to achieving my penultimate goal. When I learned of Mithras and of his desire to create a new world that was so similar to my own, I immediately sought him out." The sorcerer turned to look the Draconian directly in the eye. "I do not care who I follow, so long as my new world is created, and currently Mithras is the one person most likely to create this world."

Zabon leaned back, letting out a deep breath, before nodding slowly. "I still don't like you, or the fact that you rely so heavily on something like your magic," he said bluntly, "but I can respect what you're attempting to accomplish."

Malrok nodded in reply. "And I should not have allowed my pride to consume me, just as Mithras said it had. I cannot imagine losing my entire species to the Guardian Beasts, nor do I wish to imagine such a thing, and I should not have spoke so lightly of such a sensitive subject, especially to an ally. I can also find a great deal of respect in your goal, though I question how you plan to repopulate your species if you are the only one left alive…?"

Zabon shook his head. "Don't believe everything you hear," he said simply before turning away and walking off. Before he got too far away, he stopped and turned to look at the sorcerer over his shoulder. "I was planning on heading to the human's city to destroy RaiLeon. I suppose your pets can accompany me if you'd like them to. Besides, I'm sure they'd stir up plenty of fear for the ritual."

Malrok chuckled and nodded. "My thoughts exactly. Their injuries should be healed soon; I shall send them to you the moment they are ready." Zabon nodded in acceptance and walked away, a smirk on his face. What neither general realized was that, at that moment, both were thinking the exact same thing:

_What an idiot. I'll enjoy destroying him later._

* * *

It was late at night, and two young men were walking through the streets of Yakubo, clearly looking for trouble if the way they acted was any indicator. They were loud, obnoxious, and stumbling all over themselves; the nearly empty bottle one of them clutched in his hand eliminated any guesses as to why the two of them were like that.

"Aw, bro, did you see the look on that old man's face? He looked like he was going to wet himself!" one of them said, a tall and skinny young man with a rather distinct mole on his upper lip. His black hair was greasy and unkempt, like he hadn't washed it in days. Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he took out a switchblade and unfolded the knife, waving it around threateningly. "I was like, 'Yo, old timer, either pay us or the hospital bills!'"

His friend, a short and rather round-bellied fellow with bleached hair, giggled, nearly falling over. "Yeah, yeah, and he was like 'Oh please spare me, great and mighty kings! I am but a pathetic old geezer who has to wear diapers all the time!' Aw, man, that was great." Holding out an arm to stop his friend – and nearly getting stabbed in the shoulder in the process, not that he seemed to notice – he held up the bottle of liquor. "And look what we got with the money he donated to us!" The taller of the two let out a whoop of approval as his friend lifted the bottle in preparation to chug it, only to let out a disappointed groan when he realized that it was nearly empty. "What a rip off! This bottle's got nothin' in it! Man, that store ripped us off!" he groaned, tossing the bottle over his shoulder; his friend watched it fly through the air and shatter with a somewhat heartbroken look on his face. Something caught his eye, though, and he bumped his friend's shoulder.

"Hey, bro, I just saw, like, the brightest light I've ever seen in my life." He suddenly let out a little cry and clutched his friend's arm. "Is that the light they say you should never go to!? I thought you only saw that when you were dying! Am I dying bro!? I don't wanna die!" he moaned, burying his face into his friend's shoulder, which made said friend wrap an arm around his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Man, if you're dying, I'm coming with you!" he blubbered, tears already staining his face. "I ain't leaving you behind, you got it? I'll follow you straight into that bright light, and you wanna know what we're gonna do when we get there?" The taller friend looked up into the face of his shorter friend, and there he saw a fiery passion burning in the short man's eyes. The short one pointed to the sky with a finger. "We're gonna go straight to a heaven of babes and booze, where we'll live in comfort for all eternity! We'll be drinking the brew of the gods themselves, man!"

That seemed to be enough to encourage the taller man, as he stood up straight and let out a whoop of approval. "Let's go to heaven, bro! I'm ready to die if that's what it's like!" The two of them began to create another uproar of whoops and shouts as they began to head towards the spot the taller of the two had seen. Clearly, these two believed they were about to go to the greatest place they would ever reach in their lives.

Upon reaching it, however…

"This is heaven? Man, heaven sucks…" the short one complained, dropping down onto his rump with a disgruntled sigh. "I can't believe our luck, man. First that store sells us an empty bottle, now heaven's a big letdown like this? I just… I don't know anymore! Is any of this even real? Are we just having some kind of bad nightmare?" He stopped himself and began to think, or at least do the best he could in his current state. "Though, wouldn't that mean you were a dream…? Hey man, are you a dream, 'cause if you are, what're you doing in my head? Shouldn't you be a hot chick or something…?"

The tall one shrugged and looked around for a moment before finally seeing something interesting. "I dunno, but he might. He's been here longer than us." An idea suddenly came to him. "Bro, maybe he can show us how to get to heaven! Maybe we just took a wrong turn or something!"

"I guess…" the other replied a little suspiciously. The two of them walked over to a young man who was lying on the ground, clearly unconscious, and the shorter of the two began to nudge at him with his foot. "Hey, wake up! You need to tell us how we can get to heaven! There's babes and booze waiting for us there!" When the young man didn't respond, the short one began to get more and more frustrated, before finally kicking the unconscious youth hard, flipping him over onto his stomach. "Man, what's with this guy? Why isn't he telling us how to get to heaven?"

"Fools such as you have no place in the divine hereafter."

The two young men quickly turned around to face the person who had spoken to them. It was a rather fit young man with light brown hair and blue eyes… but that wasn't really what they were noticing about him.

"Bro, he's naked! _Naked!_" the tall one screamed, covering his eyes.

"Ah! Put some clothes on, you weirdo!" the short one cried, covering his eyes as well. "Man, now I know this isn't heaven; there wouldn't be any naked guys running around there!"

The youth looked down at himself and snorted. "Bah. I'll never understand the cultural taboo you creatures hold against nudity. You are born into this world this way and clothing was only meant to be used as protection against the elements. How the dominant race of this world managed to become so bashful regarding their own forms, I shall never understand." Shaking his head, he moved towards the two drunken men, who immediately began to step backwards, the tall one taking out his knife and holding it in front of him protectively. "Now, leave here. Your presence is unnecessary and unwanted, you are far too loud to be considered tolerable, and I smell the wretched scent of alcohol on your persons."

"Hey, no naked dude's gonna tell us what to do!" the tall one shouted, still keeping his eyes off of the unclothed young man. He began to wave the knife around threateningly. "Back off or I'll stick you! Don't think I won't do it!"

The nude youth raised an eyebrow at this display and chuckled lightly. "Attempting to threaten me? Or is this a challenge? You poor fool. You'll find I am a far greater opponent than any human could hope to be against you." As if to prove his point, his arm snaked out faster than the men could see and he grabbed the knife by its blade. Smirking proudly to himself, the youth yanked the blade from its wielder's grip before tossing it to the ground. "And so victory is mine. Now the question is what shall my prize be…?" he wondered aloud before closing his eyes and looking down in thought.

"P-prize? What the hell are you talking about!?" the short one blubbered, still in shock at seeing his buddy be disarmed so easily. Looking at the naked man's head, his jaw dropped when he saw there wasn't even a scratch on it!

The man's head shot up, though he did not open his eyes. "My prize for my victory. I bested you in combat; therefore, I am entitled to take something of yours as a prize." Again he lowered his head, and as he stood there in thought, the two youths began to ease away slowly. They were about to turn around and make a break for it when the man's head snapped up, eyes open with a sinister gleam in them and a feral grin on his face. "Remove your clothes!" he thundered.

_That_ was enough to make both men scream and try to run, only for a hand to clamp down on both of their shoulders and stop them cold. "Do not try and cheat me out of my prize." With hardly any effort on his part, the unclothed youth lifted them off of the ground and threw them into the air. They landed in a heap a few feet away, and by the time they were able to untangle their limbs the man was already in front of them. "Clothes off. Now."

Both men looked at one another before breaking down in tears, nodding shakily as they began to disrobe. They threw their clothes into a heap in front of them until they were in nothing but their underwear. The naked youth looked between them for a moment before gesturing at said underwear. "I said all clothes. Those too."

"N-no way-"

"Now!" The two youths would later swear that sparks flew from the man's eyes as he shouted at them. With a wail of fear the tall one yanked his boxers down and kicked them towards the naked youth before running away, tripping after getting some distance and curling up into a fetal position. The shorter one removed his boxers more slowly, shaking as he dropped them into the clothes pile. He stepped away quickly when the brown-haired youth stepped forwards, his face pale and covered in sweat. "Thank you. Now leave my sight."

"…Heh?"

"Leave!" the youth roared, the ferocity in his voice frightening the short man to the point of fainting. "…I have to wonder why they were so upset about losing their clothes. It seemed a small and fair prize for myself; I could have just as easily ordered them into servitude." With a shrug, the youth dug through the pile of clothes, picking out a few articles for himself, and walked away, towards the unconscious young man lying some distance away. "Now, let's see if I can remember recall where your home is," he muttered as he picked the young man up and slung him over his shoulder.

He disappeared into the night, clothes bundled under one arm and an unconscious young man in the other…

* * *

"…and that's how I came across the clothes I am now wearing," Leo finished, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in. Across from him sat Lee and Aya, both with varying looks of shock on their faces. Lee look traumatized, while Aya looked like she was moments from exploding with laughter, a crimson blush spread across her face. There was a loud _plop_ as the shake that Lee had been drinking slipped from his hand and fell to the concrete. Leo shrugged. "You asked how I came across these clothes, and I told you. They were my rightful prize for being victorious in combat – of course, I am somewhat hesitant to call my experience with those two 'combat.'"

Lee and Aya just sat in silence, glancing at each other a few times, before Lee finally said something. "So you're wearing some other guy's boxers!?"

"Yes, and I fail to see the point to wearing them. They are rather restrictive."

Aya could take no more. She exploded into a howl of laughter, ignoring the looks she was getting from the other patrons of the outdoor café the three were seated at. "Oh my gosh, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard of in my entire life! I wish I could've seen their faces!" she said as she gasped for breath.

Lee, on the other hand, was mortified and chose to bury his face into the table. "Another man's underwear… that's just not right…" he murmured.

Leo sighed and scooped up a spoonful of ice cream from the sundae that was in front of him. "Well forgive me, but I felt it necessary to try and blend in as a human to the best of my abilities, and out of the four pairs that I had available these were the best fit." He put the spoon in his mouth, relishing the flavor. "I will give humans credit for one thing: your sweets are as impeccable as they have always been – why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, referring to the confused looks Aya and Lee were giving him.

"Four pairs?" Aya questioned. "I thought there were only two guys, so how did you get ahold of four pairs?"

Leo blinked once in surprise. "Ah, I forgot to mention that. I had another encounter with two similar youths. One of them had a weapon I am not entirely familiar with… I believe they are called guns? He attempted to threaten me with it, but I quickly saw it was not made of metal and was merely a cheap imitation." He took another scoop of ice cream and popped it into this mouth. "They at least put up a fight but in the end it was all for naught, and I chose the same prize as last time."

This bit of information launched Aya into a new fit of giggles while Lee just groaned and flopped back in his chair. "Leo… never do anything like that again. You probably traumatized those guys for life, and even if they were thugs they didn't deserve that." Folding his arms over his chest, he frowned. "Besides, why'd you even need to look like a human – actually, _how_ do you look like a human all of a sudden?"

"This body is for the sake of convenience, made from a technique known to all Guardian Beasts," Leo explained. "I used a portion of my energy in order to craft it. With it, I can walk and talk amongst humans with greater ease, as well as converse with you in public. Unfortunately, it would take quite some effort and a good portion of my energy in order to convert back to my original form, energy which I do not care to waste if the situation can be avoided. Thankfully the majority of my abilities are still maintained in this form." For emphasis he made a small ball of electricity flicker into existence between his fingers for a moment.

Lee nodded slowly as he accepted this explanation, then stopped. "Couldn't you have just made yourself some clothes then? I mean, it can't be that difficult."

"It is when you don't know anything about the modern standards of dress," Leo replied, a bit snappily as well. "It has been centuries since I last made contact with humans. What counted as acceptable clothing then does not hold true now, and if I am to maintain the guise of a normal human then I must dress as a normal human would." He looked down at his jacket and gave a small smile. "Though I will say that these clothes, despite being restrictive, do have a certain amount of charm to them; I think the ones that I have chosen are rather appealing to the eye."

Aya rolled her eyes. "No offense, Leo, but you look like someone who belongs in the Seishin. If you want 'normal', then you might want to try looking like Lee here." A playful glint appeared in her eye as she looked over at Lee. "Though that might be less 'normal' and more 'plain and boring.'"

Lee looked down at the gray collared shirt he was wearing. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

She shrugged. "Like I said: plain and boring. Come _on_, Lee! All I've seen you wear is hoodies and this," she said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Have you ever considered, I don't know, spicing up your wardrobe a little?

"I happen to like the way I dress," Lee groused, putting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Besides, you're not exactly one to talk." He motioned to the outfit she was wearing: a white button-up shirt and a black knee-length skirt, with black stockings covering her legs. "You can't tell me that's spicing things up!"

"This is a school uniform, genius! I can't help that our principle or whoever makes us wear uniforms has no sense of style!"

"As uninteresting as this talk of fashion is," Leo interrupted, "I'd like it if we could finally get to speak about just what it is Lee is going to be fighting against. After last night, you need all of the information that you can get." The mood around the table suddenly turned far more serious as both Lee and Aya leaned forward to better hear the Guardian Beast. "Thank you. Now, before I speak to you about Mithras, I feel you should know just what we Guardian Beasts are.

"The Guardian Beasts are an ancient race, dating back to the earliest days of this planet's existence. We were the peacekeepers of the world, intervening whenever a matter too great to be ignored arose. If one race attempted to subjugate or destroy another, we responded with swift and decisive action. If a race became too dangerous to the world at large, we would take the necessary steps to ensure they never became a threat again."

"You mean… you would destroy _them_?" Aya asked.

Leo nodded. "While I hate to admit it, it was a necessary evil. There were simply some races that refused to peacefully coexist amongst all the others of the world. The Draconians, of which Zabon is the last, is one such race that forced our hand." Looking between the two humans before him and seeing the discomfort on their faces, he bowed his head. "I… understand that this information must be difficult to take in. We never acted maliciously, nor was elimination our preferred option. It was strictly a last resort – the very last, when no other option presented itself. I will not ask your forgiveness for our actions; you have every right to judge us however you see fit."

"Is… is that why that Zabon guy joined Mithras?" Lee asked after a moment. "You know, since you kind of…"

Leo slowly nodded his head. "I believe that you're correct. However, he is grossly misguided in his actions. He claims that the Guardian Beasts refused to grant his people the land they needed to expand. In actuality, the Draconians had waged and lost many wars that cost them parts of their land with each defeat. They had no right to demand territory that they had rightfully lost, and when they attempted to raze entire countries to the ground and claim the land as their own, we stepped in."

The table was silent for a time as both humans thought about what had just been said. "Well," Aya began, "I guess if all the races that you… destroyed-" she visibly shuddered at that word, "-were as bad as these Draconians were, then I guess no one can really blame you. I mean if they're willing to destroy others…" She trailed off and looked down at the table, idly stirring her own drink.

"I won't say I like the fact that you wiped out entire races," Lee said bluntly, giving Leo a scrutinizing stare. "Even if they were bad, I just… I can't believe that the only option was genocide!" He shook his head. Leo's head lowered further and he closed his eyes. "…but I guess… in the end you all did the right thing. I mean, you saved other races, so…" He shrugged. "Look, just don't feel too bad about it, alright? The past is the past, and as long as you don't expect me to do something like that, then we really don't have a problem."

"I would never ask any creature to commit the deeds we Guardian Beasts have," Leo said, a firm resolution in his voice. "Lee, all I ask of you is to help me stop Mithras from taking control of this world. If at any point you feel you would be doing something that would compromise your morals, tell me; I will not force you to go any further." Looking back up, he nodded in satisfaction. "As for Mithras… I suppose it is finally time to tell you of the greatest foe the Guardian Beasts have ever faced.

"Centuries, possibly even a millennia ago, the High Council – the leaders of the Guardian Beasts – were approached by a warrior king. This king had managed to create an empire unlike any other, one that encompassed half of the world. He stood before the Council and proclaimed that fate had ordained him the new emperor of this world and that he would lead it into a new age of prosperity. He had come to the Guardian Beasts in order to gain their aid in creating this world; no race would dare challenge them or their decisions. The High Council, in response, launched an attack on part of his empire.

"It was a complete _slaughter_." Leo shuddered at the memory. "Mithras had allied himself with many of the lower races that had been, in some way, suppressed by the others – never enough to gain the attention of the Guardian Beasts, but enough to keep them in line." He shook his head, grip tightening around the spoon in his hand. "Looking back on it, I can't help but wonder… if we had intervened, would there have been so many lives lost that day?"

Aya inhaled sharply. "You mean… the Guardian Beasts-"

"Mithras had created weapons that could harm a Guardian Beast and its Host with fatal results. While we Guardian Beasts are certainly not immortal, we are not easy to slay, but the weapons used by Mithras' forces allowed them to cut down our attack force with ease. Within the hour, our forces were forced to retreat – the first retreat the Guardian Beasts had ever had to make.

"From there, it became a war of attrition. Mithras would strike out, slowly but surely seizing more and more land, while we would do all that we could to hold him back. Many of us were slain in the process; just as many were forced to become Cores. Finally, it seemed as though Mithras would be victorious, but that was when he made a request that still confuses me to this day. He challenged whatever Guardian Beasts who would stand against him to one final confrontation. He would fight them alone, to the death: if he won, he claimed the world; if they won, his empire would dissolve."

"That's… that's nuts! Why would he risk everything he fought for on something like that? Wouldn't it have been easier to just finish the fight?" Lee asked.

"I'm not sure, but… there were many times where Mithras would appeal to the High Council, even after our first defeat. He would give them an ultimatum of surrender, but we would always refuse – I suppose the scars of losing our comrades were far too fresh and we were too blinded by revenge. In the end, it didn't matter, as he offered this challenge. At the time, there were very few Guardian Beasts who could fight, and even fewer with Hosts. I personally volunteered, along with four others. We ventured forth to battle Mithras, and after what seemed to be an entire day of battle, I was the only one left standing."

"Oh Leo…" Aya gasped, putting her hands to her mouth.

"To this day I am unaware of what became of the remaining Guardian Beasts. I chose not to seek out others of my kind – in truth, I worried if any remained – and instead chose to wait out the rest of my days in solitude, awaiting the day when I would join my comrades." Leo leaned back on his chair, staring wistfully up at the sky with a sad smile on his face. "Then, on the day I believed would be my last, Mithras returned, I found my Host, and now we sit here, eating sweets and talking about my past."

"…I think I understand things a little better now." Both Leo and Aya looked to Lee, who had his arms resting on the table and his chin on his fingers. "This isn't just about you stopping Mithras, is it?" Upon seeing Leo flinch, Lee smiled sympathetically. "Those four that you fought with – they were friends of yours, weren't they? And you… you feel like you've somehow failed them, like they died for nothing. That's why you were so upset and worried that I wasn't taking my duty seriously. It wasn't just because you were afraid of Mithras might do. It was because you were afraid of failing them again."

Leo lowered his gaze and said nothing. His shoulders began to quiver slightly and both humans were surprised to see small droplets of water striking the surface of the table. "T-they… I did not see them as mere allies. I-I considered them my closest friends, and… I couldn't-" He cut himself off, cupping his mouth with one of his hands. In a flash of movement Aya was kneeling down next to him, an arm wrapped around his shoulder.

Lee closed his eyes, trying his best not to let his own emotions run wild. _We're more alike than you know, Leo. We both lost people we care about, and we blame ourselves for them not being here anymore._ An image flashed through his mind. It was a memory: a young boy, no older than six, on his knees before two unmoving bodies, a pool of red slowly spreading out around them. _Mom… Dad…_

Aya, as she did her best to comfort the distraught Leo, was having her own thoughts. _He wanted to die. He'd seen so much – lost so much, and he wanted to die. But, he's still here, fighting for them. I don't think anyone would blame him if he had just stopped, but he's willing to keep fighting. Leo… he's strong. Stronger than I ever was._

After a few minutes of allowing Leo to let out his emotions, the Guardian Beast managed to regain control of himself. He accepted the napkin Lee offered him gratefully and cleaned his face. "I- Forgive my outburst just now. I've shed enough tears over them in the past, and now-"

"If you feel like crying over them, no one's going to blame you," Lee interrupted. "I know the kind of pain you're going through right now, the pain of losing people you care about, and I know there's no shame in crying over them. Don't look at it as a bad thing or some kind of weakness."

Leo nodded slowly, while Aya thought,_ Lee? Who did you lose…? _She didn't know much about the young man other than a few small facts about where he lived and the kinds of things that he liked to do. Never in one of his letters did he ever talk about losing somebody, however. Not that she would really blame him. Talking about deceased loved ones in a letter to a stranger would have been odd, but now she couldn't help but wonder who he'd lost.

Leo looked over to Aya, who still had an arm around him, and coughed slightly. "You may… return to your own chair, if you'd like." Aya blushed and rushed over to her seat, giving Leo a quick apology. "There's no need to be sorry. Truthfully, it felt… nice to feel comforted." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, slowly releasing it. "With that behind us, there is one more issue we need to discuss: what to do about those two monsters from last night."

Lee frowned as he remembered the brutal fight he'd endured last night. "If all of Mithras' minions are going to be that tough, I'm going to need some training. I've taken martial arts classes back home as a hobby, but I'm not sure how useful they'll be when I'm going up against something like that Panther. Plus, I really don't know anything about fighting with swords."

"I might be able to help with that." Leo and Lee both looked at Aya, who shrugged. "Well, when I was young, I managed to convince my parents to enroll me in a kendo class. It was fun, I guess, and I was in it for a few years. I still remember some of the techniques, and I could at least show you how to handle a sword."

"I'm certain that I could also create a fitting training regimen for you. You'll need to be able to use all of the abilities granted to you as my Host in order to combat Mithras," Leo said. "Still, I have to wonder how we can hope to defeat Panther and Tortoise together. Alone they are formidable, but together I truly can't see a way to defeat them."

"An 'unbreakable shield' and a 'blade that can cut through anything,'" Aya mused to herself, going over what she'd been informed of earlier regarding the fight. "Does anyone else think that seems a little… confusing?"

"How? Seems pretty cut and dry to me," Lee remarked.

Aya folded her arms over her chest. "Well, if one can cut through anything and the other can defend against anything, what would happen if the two of them met? You know, if Tortoise tried to block Panther?"

Leo, who had been grabbing a spoonful of ice cream as he thought, suddenly dropped said spoon to the ground in shock. "…I am such an _idiot!_" he hissed, slamming his palm into his face.

"You're not the only one who feels like an idiot right now," Lee muttered, slumping back into his chair. "I mean, it's so obvious now that I think about it."

Aya looked between the two young men, thoroughly confused. "Um… I'm not sure why it's 'obvious,' because I'm really not seeing it. I mean, I was just wondering what would happen if one met the other-"

"And that's how we'll beat them," Lee said. "The two of them are opposites, more or less. Panther can cut through anything, while Tortoise has an unbreakable defense. There's no way for both of those claims to be true, so if we can somehow trick Panther into attacking Tortoise, the only logical conclusion is that one of the two will break!" he explained rather enthusiastically. Suddenly, he reached over and gave Aya a big hug. "Aya, you're a genius!"

"Tell that to my teachers," she groaned as she escaped the hug, a sour expression on her face. "Apparently I'm not doing too well in my classes. It's not my fault, I swear! I've been studying like crazy, but I just don't get half the things they teach." Lee and Leo looked to each other, a small laugh escaping the human's lips. "What's so funny?" Aya asked sharply.

"Well," Lee began, "I kind of had to tell my uncle _something_ to get out of being stuck at the apartment as part of my punishment, so I may have, you know… said you desperately needed a tutor and that I promised I would help you out!" The last part of his explanation came out rather quickly and he finished by looking to the side, chuckling in embarrassment. "But, hey! Looks like I'm a bit of a psychic." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and flinched when he saw the rather unamused glare she was giving him. "…I _will_ tutor you if you want me to."

"Oh, you're going to," she replied with a frown. "I just really don't appreciate being used as an excuse."

Leo smiled inwardly as he watched Lee apologize to an upset Aya, stopping a nearby waitress to order another ice cream for himself. _Somehow,_ he thought when the waitress left, _somehow I feel that things will turn out differently this time. I don't know why, but just being around these two… I can tell that, when Mithras and I finally meet again, things will be different._

* * *

It was an average day for the patrons of one of Yakubo's largest shopping malls. Crowds milled through the building, the shops full of potential customers while others simply looked through the windows at the things that caught their attention. Children tugged on their parent's arms and urged them to buy them the latest toy while a groups of teenagers ate food and swapped stories in the food courts. In all, it was a day like any other.

Which made the explosions terrify the customers even more.

A blast of fire struck the front entrance to the mall, blasting the steel to pieces and sending shards of glass flying. People nearby screamed in both fear and pain as a pack of black monsters swept through the wreckage, attacking all that they saw. A more reptilian monster walked into the building calmly, a spiked club resting on its shoulder, with two other monsters – one resembling a cat and the other a turtle – following closely behind it. "Scream, you disgusting humans! Scream!" the reptile roared before unleashing a torrent of flame into a nearby storefront. Chuckling as the interior was set alight, it turned to its two comrades. "Go! Terrify these weaklings!" it commanded. The cat-like monster hissed and leapt up to the second floor of the mall while the turtle monster created two large shields in a flash of light, throwing one into a wall with enough force to break the stone.

A few loud bangs erupted from nearby, and Zabon turned around to see a trio of humans all wearing the same uniform and pointing their weapons at him. "It's the monster from the other day! Take it down!" one of them shouted, firing his pistol at the Draconian. The bullets impacted his scales and armor and simply bounced off, much to his amusement. Seeing their assault was having no effect, one of the officers looked to his partner. "Go call for backup! Tell them to bring the biggest damn guns they can find!" The officer nodded and ran off. "We need to get the civilians out of here!" he said, slowly backing away from Zabon and the Tortoise Hell Beast. "Come on! Let's move it!"

Zabon shook his head as the two officers ran off. "How pathetic. It doesn't matter what weapons they bring, nothing can pierce my armor!" he boasted, slamming his tail onto the ground for emphasis. Turning to the Tortoise Hell Beast, he motioned towards the entrance. "Get out there, and when more of those idiots show up, show them how useless they really are." The monster groaned and ran off to follow its orders. Zabon turned in time to see a man get thrown from the second floor and, luckily for him, land in a fountain below him, the feral yowl of the Panther Hell Beast ringing through the air a second later. "Heh. I guess cats can be useful after all," he commented as he walked up to the human. Grabbing the man by the collar, he pulled him close so that they were face-to-face. "How's it feel, human? How's it feel knowing that there's something out there that's smarter and stronger than you are? There's not a damn thing you can do to stop us, and that terrifies you, doesn't it?" Throwing the man to the side, Zabon let out a bellowing laugh and marched deeper into the mall.

"Better come quick, RaiLeon! My blood's on fire, and if I don't get some relief, this whole building will be to!"

* * *

Leo's order of ice cream had just arrived when he caught a familiar scent on the air. "Mithras!" he shouted, jumping to his feet and nearly knocking the table over – much to Aya's dismay, as the sudden jostling managed to knock her drink to the ground. Looking around, he suddenly snapped his head towards where the scent was coming from, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Lee. It's them," he said, "and they're not alone. I smell the stench of a Draconian."

As he said this, a squadron of police cars began to fly by the café, startling the patrons and making them wonder what was going on. Aya's phone began to go off, and she answered it in a panic. "H-Hello? Megumi, what's- A monster- okay, monsters- Megumi, don't just sit there! Run! Get out of there!" Snapping her phone shut, she looked to Lee and Leo in worry. That was one of my friends from school! She's at a mall that's close by, and she said there's monsters attacking!"

"We need to get going," Lee told Leo. The Guardian Beast nodded in agreement, and Lee turned his attention back to Aya. "Aya, you stay here. It's going to be dangerous, and-"

"Screw that!" she cried, rising to her feet. "Someone I know is in there! I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing!" As Lee opened his mouth to protest, she held up a hand. "Don't get me wrong: I'm not going to run in headfirst and try to fight those things, but if there's anything I can do to help – get people to safety, get them to an ambulance, or whatever – then I'm going to do it! You might be the one who can turn into some crazy superhero but that doesn't mean that you're in this alone!"

The young man stared at Aya in surprise before a smile rapidly spread across his face. "I'm glad I've got friends like you backing me up then!" he said, gently nudging her shoulder. Looking to Leo, he nodded. "Come on. Time to show these guys that they can't just push humans around!"

* * *

They ran the entire way to the mall and, thanks to Aya's knowledge of the area and its shortcuts, managed to get there in a little over fifteen minutes. Aya was out of breath and had a hand on her chest, panting heavily; Lee seemed a little winded and Leo seemed completely fine. "I really need to do more cardio if I'm going to be following you two around," she muttered as the three of them turned a corner and the mall came into view.

Smoke was pouring out from the top of the building, where glass ceilings had been broken. People were still pouring out from the building, running towards the paramedics who were stationed in the parking lot furthest from the main building; names of friends and family members were being shouted, creating a cacophony of worried calls. A group of fire trucks were parked near the mall, yet they weren't doing anything; a sudden explosion from the front of the mall made the reason why rather clear.

Ducking back a little, the three of them looked between each other. "Aya, go see if you can help the emergency workers. Maybe you'll run into your friend – if not, we'll find her," Lee said. Aya ran off towards the parking lot, leaving the Guardian Beast and his Host alone. "Are you ready?" Lee asked.

"To fight Mithras' forces?" Leo chuckled. "Lee, I've been ready for centuries. Come! To battle!" he said, changing into a sphere of lightning and shooting into Lee, forming the belt of RaiLeon. The young man brought his left arm across his chest while raising his right to the sky, inhaling deeply before letting it out in a calm, smooth breath. He suddenly brought his right arm down, opening the mouth of the lion, and thrust his left arm out to the side.

"Henshin!"

He ran through the wall of electricity that appeared before him, emerging from it as RaiLeon. Electricity crackled in his right hand before exploding in a shower of sparks, revealing his sword. He dashed past the paramedics and the surprised shoppers, many of whom were suddenly asking who that armored man was.

Another explosion rang out as Lee neared the entrance to the mall. Jumping onto the roof of a nearby car, he saw the cause of the explosions, as well as the aftermath. The turtle monster from last night was standing between the entrance and a line of police cars, armed with its shields. As Lee watched, it threw a shield at one of the police cars, the discus striking with enough force to send the patrol car skidding backwards. The officers had spread out, taking cover where they could find it, though they weren't firing; they'd likely realized that their weapons weren't even making the monster flinch.

"Hey!" Lee suddenly shouted, catching the monster's attention. It groaned and threw a shield charged with green energy at him; he leapt off of the car and soared over the shield, landing in a crouch a few yards away from the monster. Rising to his feet, he pointed his sword at the monster. "I don't care if you've got the perfect defense or not! Going after innocent people like this – I won't let Mithras get away with this!"

With a battle cry he charged forwards, weaving past the pair of shields thrown at him by the monster and bringing his sword down against its chest. The monster didn't suffer a scratch from the blow, though the force did shove it back an inch or so. Lee kept up his assault, however; he punched it in the chest repeatedly, each blow crackling with electricity, before finally jumping up and performing a spin-kick that caught the monster in the face. The monster moaned as it fell backwards, hands going to its face, before it suddenly charged at Lee, two shields formed and ready to use. Lee dodged the first clumsy swing and batted the second shield away with his sword, countering with a front kick to the monster's chest. It let out a frustrated noise as both of its shields began to glow with energy; a moment later a massive green barrier exploded out from its body, striking Lee and throwing him to the ground.

"_None of our attacks are damaging it!"_ Leo hissed as Lee got up into a crouch. _"Lee, we have to find Panther! If Aya was right, the only chance we may have to defeat this monster is if it and Panther were to clash somehow!"_

"I know." Lee looked over his shoulder to see the police that were standing behind him, equal amounts of apprehension, confusion, and suspicion on their faces as they looked at him. "The only problem is these officers. They're not just going to run away, they'll stay here until this thing's dead or…" He didn't finish his sentence, shaking his head as he stood. "If I could just knock this thing out or pin it for a while, then-"

A bolt of energy flew past Lee's head, barely missing him and striking the monstrous Tortoise in the chest. The energy bolt expanded into a large dark brown spider made of energy that quickly wrapped its legs around the monster. The energy spider then flashed silver before disappearing, leaving the Tortoise monster covered entirely in silver threads and unable to move.

"…Eh?"

"_What- I recognize that energy! That was Spider, the Guardian Beast of Thread! But… where did he come from…?"_

"'Guardian Beast of Thread?' Blades and Shields I can buy, but Thread? Really?" Lee questioned, tilting his head slightly as he watched the Tortoise monster struggle to escape its restraints. From what he could see, it would be a while before it could snap those threads; it couldn't even move aside from a slight side-to-side wobbling. "Guess it was kind of helpful though," he noted as he walked past the bound monster, sword resting on his shoulder.

"_Definitely helpful, but I still want to know where he came from!"_

"We don't have time right now. We've got to get in there, stop Zabon, and beat those two monsters. We can worry about where he came from later, alright?"

"…_You're right. Zabon and these monsters present the most apparent threat and must be dealt with accordingly. Let's go!"_

"Already on it."

* * *

"Enjoy your gift, boy," the white Warrior muttered as he lowered his bow, taking the brown and silver Core from its mouth and returning it to his side. "It shall be the last one you ever receive from me." He stood on the roof of a building a block away from the mall, his white armor a stark contrast to the blue sky behind him. Another surge of energy crackled across the surface of his armor and he groaned, clutching at his stomach as he reached for his belt. "Even a few minutes is too long… I need to rest," he muttered as he closed the mouth of the creature on the belt. His armor seemed to glow for a moment before dissipating into flecks of light that scattered about him.

Standing where an armored Warrior had stood just a moment before was a tall, well-dressed and well-kempt man. He wore a pristine white suit, the jacket open and exposing a brown vest decorated with a scale pattern; the same scale pattern was present on the cuffs of his jacket. Perched on his head was a white fedora with a brown feather sticking out of band. Black hair fell from the back of hat, curling up slightly as it reached the base of his neck. His skin was fair, without blemish or a single hair on his jawline or upper lip, and his green eyes, though currently looking rather tired, held a certain confidence to them.

He began to walk towards the entrance of the roof, his leather boots clacking against the ground, when a sudden chill ran through him. "Most impressive, Kirin of the Light." Eyes widening in shock, the man spun around to see Mithras standing on the edge of the roof. The crimson Emperor had his back turned to the man, but that didn't ease the man's worried expression even slightly. "Calm yourself, Legendary One. If I desired your head, or your Core for that matter, it would already be mine," Mithras said calmly.

Sighing in defeat, the man straightened himself. "I can't help but ask what the almighty Mithras, the man chosen by Fate and Emperor of All He Sees, could possibly want with me," the man said in a joking tone, the right side of his mouth curling up into a half-smile. "So please, enlighten me: if you're not here for my Core or my life, why are you here? Don't think I haven't realized that you've turned my fellow Guardian Beasts into monsters – wouldn't my Core make an excellent soldier for you? You'd have no trouble winning this time."

"Oh, but where would the fun be in that?" Mithras asked. "I crave far more than simple victory, Legendary One. No, I demand a victory that I will have earned, through struggle and strife." He turned to face the white-suited man. "If I so desired to claim my empire right now, I would level this entire city with my own power. You, the young warrior, and everyone else who may possibly pose a threat to me would be annihilated and I would have won. I don't wish for that. It is why I willing risked my entire empire centuries ago in a final duel." Mithras chuckled slightly, bringing a hand to his mouthplate. "Of course, that admittedly went worse than I had anticipated, but everyone makes mistakes, no? And in the end it worked out quite nicely, for here I am, once again among the living and ready to rebuild my empire."

"Be careful that ego of yours doesn't cost you your head," the man spat, eyes narrowed hatefully and the half-smile twisted into a scowl. "You sicken me, Mithras. You've sickened me from the day I first encountered you. You treat this entire ordeal as nothing more than a game and those around you as pieces! Tell me: how many pieces must be lost before this game comes to an end?!"

Mithras stood there silently, eyes appraising the man before him. He slowly shook his head. "It would seem that you still try to deny the truth of Fate. I am destined to rule over a new world, one of my own creation. Can you defy destiny, Kirin of the Light? I know of members of your race that can control the very fabric of space and twist time to their whims, but destiny is something that simply cannot be changed. You may throw yourselves against it all you wish; I will not stop you from so foolishly battering your bodies against an unbreakable wall." He turned away from the man and looked out over the city. "I play no game, Kirin of the Light. I am merely awaiting my destiny to be fulfilled, no matter how long it may take. Why not enjoy myself as I wait?"

"Destiny can be stopped! You were defeated once before! How is that not proof that destiny is not set in stone!?"

"Have you considered that it was part of my destiny to be defeated those years ago?" Mithras spun around, eyes burning fiercely. "Perhaps destiny also played a role in your being here now. What are the chances that your Host, who you had such a strong bond with, would betray you like she did? What are the chances that she would willingly seal you away in stone, leaving you hidden from the world until you were released centuries later, just as I make my return?" Mithras swung his arm forwards, and a sword suddenly appeared in his hand, aimed directly at the man's neck. "Fate has conspired to bring us together, Legendary One, so that a battle worthy of birthing a new world would take place!"

"Don't you dare speak of her…" the man growled, bowing his head and clenching his fists tightly. "Fate… Fate had nothing to do with her betrayal! What she did… was nothing more than a perfect example of human weakness! She told me why she did it. She told me she wanted to be amongst the victorious, not among the dead!" He lifted his head slightly, glaring at Mithras from beneath the brim of his hat. "And you… I don't care that you've slain countless Guardian Beasts in the past – if you dare mention her again, I will show you why I am the Legendary Beast of Light!"

Mithras lowered his sword, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Very well. I will abstain from touching upon such a sensitive subject – for now, at least. Though I am curious about one thing, and its actually my reason for talking to you right now." He looked back towards the mall; smoke was still pouring out of the broken glass ceiling and fires were starting to spread. "You and the young RaiLeon share a common enemy – namely me. Yet you do not aid him? Why is that?"

The man said nothing and lowered the brim of his hat, turning his back on the Emperor. He started to walk away, but when he reached the roof access, he stopped. "Working with humans… would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I will fight you myself, without their aid, and if he should get in my way…" Finished speaking with the crimson Emperor, the man quickly departed, leaving Mithras to his own thoughts.

"My, my," he chuckled, turning around to face the entire city as a portal appeared behind him. "Things will certainly be more interesting this time around." He stepped backwards into the portal and vanished, his laughter still lingering on the wind.

* * *

Lee grunted as Zabon's club smashed down against his sword, his arms straining under the Draconian's strength. He caught a rush of movement out of the corner of his eye, and a second later the Panther monster was cutting across his side with its bladed tail. The strike knocked him off balance, and Zabon quickly followed up with a massive punch to his head. As he landed roughly on his back, trying to collect his wits and silently thanking the fact that he had a helmet, Lee began to go over just how quickly things had fallen apart for him when he entered the mall.

Zabon had been easy to find. The Draconian had positioned himself in the very center of the mall, a small horde of black Imps surrounding him. Lee had managed to deal with them fast enough, and had started to fight against Zabon when he realized that the new armor the reptile wore wasn't just for show; every time his blade struck it, the weapon just bounced right off! To make matters worse, the Panther monster had apparently been lying in wait somewhere above and had pounced down on him the first chance it had gotten, raking its arms blades down his back.

"_I know you don't want to hear this,_" Leo said, "_but this is not going to end well for us at this rate. We need to either separate the two of them, or eliminate Panther from the fight entirely!_"

"How? Panther seems to have gotten smarter since last time; he never stays still long enough for me to attack him." Slowly rising to a sitting position, Lee brought a hand to his still-aching head. "I really wish we had your friend Spider here with us. Then we could just wrap Panther up so I could finish him." Zabon's laughter made him look up. The Draconian was leaning forwards on his club with a grin on his face. Beside him, the Panther monster was crouched low to the ground, its bladed tail flinging up a trail of sparks as it moved against the floor.

"Ready to give it up, Warrior?" Zabon asked casually. "You're outmatched and outnumbered. Not to mention I've noticed you getting sloppier with your fighting. Getting tired already?" With a mockingly exaggerated groan of effort, he hefted his club onto his shoulder and began to walk over to the Golden Warrior. "I've really got to admit that I'm disappointed. When you broke my armor, I thought I'd be fighting against someone who knew how to fight like a true warrior." With an annoyed grunt, he added, "Looks like I was wrong."

"'True warrior?'" Lee scoffed as he rose to his feet. "What 'true warrior' fights with a monster backing him up? What's wrong, too scared to fight me one-on-one? Afraid I'll break your new armor like I did last time?" It was a cheap shot, but if Lee could just get Zabon angry, maybe he could outsmart him…

A dismissive snort quashed all hopes of that, however. "Hah. Don't tell me what a warrior is. I've been fighting my entire life for my people. I've slain hundreds of foes on the battlefield, watched those I considered brother or sister die in front of me, and burned entire villages to cinders. A true warrior doesn't give a damn about how many are fighting on each side – they live only for the thrill of the fight!" With a roar, Zabon charged. Lee rolled under the swing of his club, popping to his feet right behind him to strike. Rolling his eyes, Zabon lashed out with his tail and swept the young man's legs out from beneath him. Before he could even attempt to stand, Lee found a heavy foot plant itself on his chest. "Like I said: you're outmatched. Even if that Hell Beast wasn't here, you'd still be dead to rights."

"Shut… up!" Lee ground out as he struggled to remove the Draconian's foot from his chest. "Only living for the thrill of the fight? You really think that makes you a warrior?" Lee growled as he gripped the foot with both hands. "Maybe… No, I _don't_ know what makes a real warrior – I've never wanted to know! But what I _do_ know is this: a warrior shouldn't fight just for the rush! They have to fight for something!" A roar of power escaped him as a surge of power flowed through his limbs. Zabon let out a yelp of surprise as Lee managed to shove him away and quickly got to his feet. "Zabon… you're not a warrior. You're just a monster!"

He heard metal scraping against stone and quickly spun around, catching the Panther Hell Beast's tail-blade on his sword. Thinking fast, he immediately grabbed the monster's tail with his free hand and focused; electricity surged from his body into the monster's, making it scream in pain. "I'm really tired of dealing with you!" he shouted, raising his sword and bringing it down on the monster's tail. The Panther Hell Beast let out a shriek that could shatter glass as it fell to the ground, rapidly backing away from the Warrior, its tail still in his hand. A shadow fell over him, and he spun around just as Zabon was about to strike with his club. Without thinking twice he swung the Panther's tail like a whip, the blade singing through the air as it flew towards Zabon.

"AAGH!" Zabon screamed as the blade dug into his side, blood seeping from the newly-formed cut in his armor. The bladed tail of the Panther Hell Beast had cut clean through his armor, like it hadn't even existed. "You… damned… _human!"_ he spat, grasping at the wound. "How… _How…!?_"

"Simple." Lee turned away from Zabon, flicking the lion's mouth shut. "I'm fighting for something." He opened the lion's mouth.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Lee threw himself into the air, spinning forwards as golden energy surrounded him. "Now here my roar!" he shouted as he fell towards the Panther Hell Beast, leg extended to deliver a kick. The monster raised its arms in a feeble attempt to shield itself as the kick landed, a golden lion's head biting down on it. It managed to get out one last shriek before exploding, the resultant fireball hiding Lee from Zabon's vision.

The Draconian cursed in his native tongue before turning around and running towards the front entrance. "Damn him! Damn that RaiLeon!" he muttered as he ran through the ruined entrance. Upon seeing the Tortoise Hell Beast, still trapped in its thread cocoon and being looked over by curious policemen, he let out a savage bellow. The officers all jumped out of the way as a stream of fire shot from his maw, incinerating the threads binding the monstrous Tortoise, and he caught the creature by the arm as it started to fall to the ground. "It's time to go!" He lifted his club, ready to create a portal to take them back to their base, when a loud cry rang out.

"**Panther! Spirit of Blades!"**

Turning around, Zabon's eyes widened as he saw the Golden Warrior racing towards him, sword held out to his side. The weapon's blade was covered by a silver light and left a trail of silver motes in the air behind it. "Get back here!" Lee shouted, jumping into the air and preparing to bring his weapon down on the two of them.

Without a degree of hesitation, Zabon threw the Tortoise Hell Beast at the incoming RaiLeon. Not caring if the monster survived one way or the other, he slammed his club into the ground and created a vortex of fire, disappearing from the battlefield.

The Tortoise Hell Beast, on the other hand, let out a panicked moan as it brought both of its shields up to defend itself. RaiLeon's blade struck them both, and for a split second absolutely nothing happened. There was no recoil from the strike, no blinding flash of light, or anything that even suggested that something could be happening.

Then the blade started to dig into the shields. Slowly at first, then it began to speed up until both shields were torn in half by the ferocity of the slash. The blade continued moving, striking the monster across the chest. It crashed back to the ground in a heap, a large gash opened up along its skin, while RaiLeon landed in a crouch a few feet away. "It's over," the Warrior stated as he quickly activated another Lightning Charge.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Holding his sword in front of him, Lee focused the energy into the weapon. The silver and gold energies mixed together as electricity crackled along the length of the blade. Positioning himself into a runner's stance, Lee bounded forwards just as the Hell Beast stood. He struck it with his sword repeatedly, each slash releasing energy into the monster's body, before he brought the weapon over his head. "The finisher!" he called as he swung downwards, the energy forming into two figures: a golden lion and a silver panther, both bringing their claws down on the Tortoise Hell Beast. The monster groaned in defeat as the blade cut through the length of its body, flooding it with energy and causing it to detonate in a fiery explosion.

As the fire died down, Lee knelt down and picked up the Tortoise Core, stashing it in the container on his side. "Man… I can't believe I did it."

Leo chuckled at his Host's comment. _"And why would you have any trouble believing you could win? Lee, what you said to Zabon – there was a great deal of truth in it. A warrior does not fight for the thrill of the battle. They fight for a purpose they hold closely to their heart, a cause they are ready to die for."_ With a small smile, he added, _"Lee, while you may not realize it, you are a warrior, and someday you may become one of the finest caliber."_

Lee chuckled at that, preparing to cancel his transformation when he remembered that he was currently surrounded by police. Turning around, he quickly lowered his sword and raised his free hand in a defensive gesture. "H-hey, don't shoot! I'm on your side!" he said quickly. He looked away, not wanting to stare down the barrel of a gun. But upon hearing a slow applause start to build up, he had to look in confusion.

People were slowly gathering in a crowd around him, clapping as they saw him and heard about what he had just done. While most of the police looked a little wary of him, a small few were joining in with the applause; one or two were even giving him a salute. Looking around, Lee spotted Aya at the front of the crowd, a girl about her age standing next to her. "Thank you!" she called, prompting the rest of the crowd to do the same.

Lee shook his head, blushing madly under his helmet. "It… was nothing, really. Just doing my job." Taking one last glance at the crowd that had gathered around him – and feeling a swell of emotion building up in his chest – he turned to leave when someone in the crowd cried out:

"Who are you?"

Stopping, he looked over his shoulder. "Who am I?" he repeated. Looking down at the ground for a split-second, he shrugged. Standing up straight, he pointed his thumb at himself and rested his sword on his shoulder. "My name is RaiLeon, the Golden Warrior. And… I'm here to keep this city safe." Chuckling at the roar of approval his last comment got him, he turned and walked off, the crowd parting to let him through. As he walked off to find somewhere to release his transformation, he couldn't stop the smile from forming over his face as he heard the crowd chanting his name.

"RaiLeon! RaiLeon! RaiLeon!"

* * *

_**You know, it feels good to update stories. Maybe I should do it more...  
**_

_**In all honesty, though, I apologize for the wait. All I can really say is 'college sucks' and move on, I guess. I would like to say one thing, though: if any of you are fans of myshiroyuki's 'Kamen Rider Sin' and are waiting on the next chapter of that story to come out, I have to ask all of you not to blame him. I help work on that story and lately I've been doing a terrible job of it; really, it's my fault for the delay, and I apologize to anyone who enjoys that story.**_

_**And if myshiroyuki himself is reading this, I have only one thing to say to you (other than sorry...): I promise to finish working on that chapter ASAP.**_

_**With all that said, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this (rather long) chapter. If you'd kindly leave a review, it would be appreciated; any advice or critique I get can only help improve this and any future stories. And with that, I hope you all have a wonderful day.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Episode 4: Where There's Smoke…**

Lee yawned loudly as he made his way down to the riverbank, ready for his first official day of training. He was wearing standard workout clothing: a sleeveless gray shirt and black shorts; they were the exact same clothes that he would take to the gym when he worked out a bit more regularly. _I wonder what Leo's got in store for me,_ he wondered as he got closer to his destination. _Guess I should be ready for anything; he's a warrior by nature, and he's probably going to try holding me to the standards of his last Host._

A small smile crossed his sleepy expression as the thought of him being the Spirit of Lightning's new Host sprang into his mind. It had been nearly a week since Mithras' last attack, and from what Lee could tell, the city was still reeling from the revelation that there were actual monsters running loose. There had been countless news reports over the mall attack, showcasing the attacking monsters and getting interviews with people who had witnessed the violence. Speculation was being made by almost everyone with an opinion as to who the monsters were, where they came from, or what they wanted, but everyone could agree on one thing at least: they were dangerous, and the entire city seemed to be on edge regarding them.

And then there were the news reports covering the one who had beaten three of those monsters, and chased off a fourth one twice: the mysterious Golden Warrior, RaiLeon. Lee had to fight the urge to duck his head or leave the room whenever a news report about his armored alter-ego came on, partly because he didn't think there was any reason for anyone to be praising what he had done. Was he doing a good thing by protecting people? Of course, but he wasn't in it for praise; he was fighting simply because he had to, because no one else could.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though RaiLeon was becoming intensely popular in the eyes of most of Yakubo's citizens. Various newscasts in the past few days had entire segments dedicated to analyzing almost every detail of the city's new protector, and somehow actual merchandise was already being made by small manufacturers – much to Lee's complete and utter embarrassment, as he had found out by Aya buying a chibi-RaiLeon plush toy and giving it to him as a joke.

Part of him wondered how they had managed to make something like that so quickly, while another part wondered if he could sue for using his likeness without permission. Of course, he'd probably have to go through the case as RaiLeon, not Lee…

The idea of him appearing in a courtroom in his armor was strangely amusing to him.

A newspaper that was sticking out of a trash bin caught his attention and brought him down from a potential laughing fit; more specifically, the headline: **'RaiLeon – Masked Hero or Armored Lunatic?'** Sighing and quickly looking away from the paper, Lee recalled that not everyone in the city was so supportive towards RaiLeon's efforts. For as many people who sang praises about the Golden Warrior, there were just as many who said he was as dangerous as the monsters that he fought, perhaps more considering he could defeat them. It… stung Lee to know that there were people out there like that, who thought he could possibly abuse his powers, but in the end he chose to ignore it. _Let them think what they want to; I'll still be the one showing up to pull them out of the fire._

"Kind of strange, isn't it?" Lee stopped at the sound of man's voice. Turning around, he saw a man in a white suit grabbing the newspaper from the trash bin, eyeing the front page headline with a small glint of amusement in his green eyes. "Monsters start appearing, and a hero shows up to save the day at the exact same time. Awfully convenient – in fact, it almost sounds too good to be true." The suited man smirked as he threw the newspaper back into the trashcan. "Wouldn't you say so, boy?"

Eyeing the newcomer with caution, Lee folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it sounds that way. But hey: at least he's not trying to hurt us, like those monsters are." Looking around at their surroundings, he suddenly came to a realization. "Wait a sec… where'd you come from? I didn't see you standing there before. Don't tell me that you were following me," he added, slowly moving his leg out and preparing to defend himself, if he had to. For some reason, this strange man was giving him a bad feeling. _Does he work for Mithras? Wait, does Mithras even have humans in his army?_

The man chuckled and shook his head. "Easy there, boy, I'm not going to hurt you. Relax, maybe sit for a moment," he said, gesturing at a nearby bench. When the young man refused to budge, the man shrugged and walked over to the bench himself. Taking off his hat, he toyed with it as he spoke, "We live in quite the dangerous world these days, don't we? Crime runs rampant all over the world, pointless wars are fought almost daily, and it seems you can't pick up a newspaper without there being some sort of tragedy as the headline. Such a shame, really, that humans are so willing to waste the world that they've been given." When Lee kept his silence, the man continued, "Have you ever wondered just what the reason for all of humanity's problems are? That is, just why there are so many terrible things in this world?"

"I have a few ideas… but why don't you go ahead and enlighten me," Lee replied, narrowing his eyes as he started to walk around to the front of the bench. "After all, from the way you're talking, it almost sounds like you have it all figured out."

"'Enlighten' you, eh?" The man in white smiled and calmly laid his hat on his lap. Bringing his hands together, he leaned forwards. "Why, it's rather simple: its humanity itself that's the root of all the world's problems. It is man who commits crime against man, who wages war with man, and who devastate the world that has been given to them. And the sad thing is, they don't even realize it. They blame their problems on someone or something else, when all they have to do is look in a mirror to understand where all that blame lies." Smile fading from his face, the suited man leaned back. "Mankind seems like quite the simple-minded species when put in that kind of light, aren't they?"

Anger began to build up in Lee's chest as he listened to the man speak; by the time he was finished, he could hardly restrain himself. "Well… that's a rather pessimistic view of humanity, don't you think?"

"Is it a pessimistic view or the bitter truth?" the man countered. He stood, fedora held loosely in his left hand, and calmly stared the young man before him in the eye.

"I think I've heard of a saying that goes, 'the more you hear a lie, the more it sounds like the truth.' Something tells me that all you've been doing is telling yourself the same lie over and over. Or maybe you're really just deluded enough to think that humanity is that terrible." Lee shook his head and threw up his hands. "Whatever it is, I don't care. If all you wanted to do is try and convince me the world is such a terrible place, then you've wasted your time and mine." He moved to leave, only for the man to reach out and block him with his arm. "Excuse-"

A swift backhand to the face sent Lee sprawling to the ground, clutching his stinging cheek. "And here I thought diplomacy might work," the man remarked as he coolly examined the back of his hand, the one he'd just struck Lee with. "After all, you come from the United States, don't you, Mr. Lee Steven Collins-Hirayama?" He laughed upon seeing the surprise on the young man's face. "Oh, I know quite a bit about you, boy. Or, would you prefer I called you by your other name-" a somewhat wicked grin crossed his face "-RaiLeon?"

Lee quickly scrambled to his feet, preparing to sprint as fast as he could towards where Leo would be. "You… you work for Mithras, don't you?" Tension filled the air between the two of them, both men waiting for the other to make the move. The sudden, raucous laugh of the white suited man cut straight through the tension. "What's so funny!?" Lee demanded.

"Me? Work for that madman? Boy, you really have no idea who I am!" the man gasped, still clutching his stomach. "I'd sooner die a hundred deaths than let that so-called Emperor order me around. No, I don't work for Mithras; quite the opposite really. I'm fighting him, just like you are – save for one thing of course." He straightened himself and placed his hat back on his head. "Unlike you, I hardly care if humanity survives the coming battles or not. I'm here to stop a madman, not save your sad little species. So let me give you a warning, boy." The man turned to leave, stopping just as his feet touched the asphalt of the road. "Stop trying to act like a hero. Abandon this absurd notion that you can stop Mithras, go back to living whatever life you were before you stumbled into this mess, and pray that, when the time comes, you don't get caught in the crossfire."

Anger reaching its boiling point, Lee rushed the man. He lowered his shoulder and aimed for the man's lower back, intent on tackling him to the ground, when a burst of light blinded him and forced him to cover his eyes. A moment later, a fist connected with his stomach, followed by a kick to his side that knocked him to the ground. As he lay there, groaning and clutching his injuries, he heard the man's footsteps begin to recede. "W-wait!" he shouted.

"The next time we cross paths, I suggest you run. I won't be nearly so kind then."

Using the bench to pull himself up, Lee looked around for any sign of the man, but he had seemingly disappeared. Cursing under his breath, he pulled his phone out and quickly dialed a number. "Aya, are you with Leo right now?" he asked when she picked up. "Good, because I need both of you, now." Looking towards where he heard the man walk off to, he added, "I think things just got more difficult for us."

* * *

The Imp screeched in fear as a cloven hoof slammed down on its head, destroying it. More fell to a rapid-fire assault of condensed smoke, the projectiles piercing straight through their bodies with horrifying ease. A pair of them tried to fight back, swords raised as they charged, only for their assailant to spin around and swing their weapon at them, crushing them both with the force of the blow. Over and over again, Imps fell to the might of their foe, each casualty coming quicker than the last, until only one was left, pitifully cowering on the ground before its opponent.

"Enough," Malrok called out, snapping his fingers for added emphasis. He stepped out onto the balcony at the front of the makeshift arena: stone floors and walls, with metal braziers lining the walls. Hanging from the ceiling were banners that displayed Mithras' emblem, with a much larger one hanging above the balcony. "Excellent work, Tapir. It would seem that you have learned how to employ your abilities quite well in such a short time. Quite impressive, I must say."

The figure down in the arena turned, lights from the torches illuminating their appearance. They had a stocky build, well-muscled and powerful looking. Short gray fur covered their body, save for their black hands and stumpy fingers. Their legs ended in large cloven hooves. Their neck bulged with corded muscle, leading up to a face with a mouth that seemed to be pulled back in a permanent grimace, displaying their blocky teeth in a horrific way. Cold brown eyes stared up at the sorcerer, looking past the small, trunk-like appendage that hung from their forehead, dangling down to their chin.

The Tapir Hell Beast nodded, dropping the ball-and-chain it had been wielding as it took a knee before its creator. "Lord Malrok," it spoke in a gruff voice, its teeth clacking shut with every syllable. "It is an honor to earn your praise, master."

Malrok rolled his eyes at the creature's words. _I really have to talk to them sometime about that, before Lord Mithras starts thinking I am trying to usurp his position._ A small shiver ran down the sorcerer's spine at the thought, though he kept his composure rather well. "And I will fully admit, the weapon that Zabon has crafted for you fits your size and fighting style most splendidly. Tell me, Zabon, how did you know the weapon was suited for this Hell Beast in particular?" he asked the Draconian general, who was staring down at the Tapir Hell Beast with a mix of disgust and anger.

"Any Draconian capable of handling a forge knows what weapon suits a warrior best, no matter what species the warrior is," Zabon explained, stepping away from the wall he had been leaning against and walking to the edge of the balcony. Gripping the banister, he snarled. "To think I'd have to make a weapon for a disgusting abomination such as yourself, however… My ancestors would be forever shamed for such a thing."

The sorcerer next to him sighed miserably, while the Tapir Hell Beast showed no sign of being affected by the insult. It simply kept kneeling before the two of them, head bowed in a show of respect. "Zabon," Malrok began, a hand already nursing the headache that was coming back in full, "we have been over this… _five times!_ My Hell Beasts need the added advantage that a proper weapon can give them. Panther and Tortoise had their own weapons, yes, but they were special cases! Not all Cores will provide us with pre-armed warriors, and with RaiLeon possessing three Cores at this stage, we need any potential advantage we can get our hands on!"

"And if nothing else, I find it wonderful to see the talents of my two generals being put to use in conjunction with one another." Said generals quickly spun around – with Zabon's tail nearly knocking Malrok over in his haste, not that the Draconian seemed apologetic about it – as Mithras silently strode in to stand next to them, hands folded behind his back as he looked down at the Hell Beast before him. "Tapir, Guardian Beast of Smoke," he noted, looking towards Malrok. "Interesting choice, I must say. I also find it interesting that he speaks now – how did this come to be?"

Malrok gulped audibly, slowly turning to look at his creation. "As… As a result of my efforts to increase the overall intelligence of the Hell Beasts, it would seem that they have become capable of speech… as well as the slow development of their own individual personalities. Tapir, for example, has shown himself to be a brutal and fearless combatant." Turning to his Emperor, the sorcerer bowed low as he quickly added, "They are, of course, completely loyal to you, and should you wish it, I will gladly put some form of restriction on their ability to form personalities-"

"No." Mithras leaned forward, placing both hands on the banister as his eyes seemed to brighten. "Leave them be. If anything, allow them to develop further. I want warriors who will fight with all of their being, not mindless drones sent to do my bidding. If they are to be loyal to me, it shall be because they respect me, because they recognize my right as Emperor. I will not allow myself to become a tyrant, censoring the thoughts of those under my rule, even if they happen to be a creature such as this." Standing straight again, he called out, "Tapir!"

"Emperor!" Tapir called back, raising his head towards the source of the voice. "What is your bidding, Emperor Mithras?"

Thrusting his hand forwards, Mithras gave his command: "Go out into the human city! Spread your smoke through the streets, a choking fog that will create fear in the hearts of all those affected. If you should encounter a foe, show them no mercy! Strike them down with your full might, the might a warrior of Mithras holds within themselves!"

Tapir bellowed his approval, rising from the ground and stomping out of the arena. The room was silent as the steel doors slammed shut behind him, with Zabon being the one to finally break the silence with a small cough. "He will, of course, need to come by my forge beforehand. His armor is already finished, and while it won't save him from RaiLeon's strongest attacks, it will at least provide a measure of defense he wouldn't have had previously."

"Excellent. See that he is appropriately equipped for his mission." Mithras put his hands behind his back once again and began to walk out of the room, only to pause at the door's threshold. "Zabon, you are, under no circumstance, to leave this place. Twice now you have done battle with RaiLeon, and twice you were forced back. I fear what may occur the third time." The Draconian seemed to wilt under his lord's command, but nodded in obedience. "Malrok, you are to go to the city and provide any necessary assistance to your creation."

Malrok nodded in response. "Very well. It has been quite some time since I was in the thick of combat; I can only hope time has not dulled my abilities too greatly." Seemingly satisfied, the crimson Emperor left the room, and the two generals simply looked towards each other. "Admittedly, I have been eager to test RaiLeon's mettle myself for quite some time. Perhaps a first-hand demonstration of his abilities would best help me formulate a way to stop him." Fingers rapping against the spine of his tome, the sorcerer left the room.

Zabon stood in silence, not moving a single muscle – not even his tail twitched. "Twice," he murmured, shaking his head somberly. "I've lost twice…" Balling his fists and bringing them near his face, his entire body seemed to tremble with rage. "That… _brat,_ RaiLeon! I'll snap his scrawny neck for this embarrassment!" Spinning around, he slammed his fist into the banister, knocking a large chunk of stone through the air. "I have to prove myself! For my people!" One hand resting on the shattered banister, the other moved to his chest, as he quietly said, "For you…"

* * *

"Damn it all!" Leo shouted, grabbing a bag of trash and hurling it down the alleyway. Spinning around, he stomped on the trashcan it had been lying next to, smashing a hole straight through the green plastic. Electricity began to spark up around his fist, and he slammed it straight through the top of the garbage bin, sending shards of plastic flying through the air. "Damn it!" he shouted again, kicking away the remains of the trashcan.

This had been the norm for the Spirit of Lightning for the past hour or so, mindlessly rampaging through the back streets of the city and finding whatever way he could to vent his frustrations. He'd barely been able to restrain himself after hearing that Lee, his Host, his_ friend_, had been attacked, only for him to be nowhere close enough to help him. It had been Aya's assurance that Lee wasn't in serious danger, only slightly beaten, that had kept his rage from truly exploding.

The two of them had raced over to Lee, finding him lying on a bench with a nasty bruise already forming on the side of his face. They had questioned the young man relentlessly, doing their best to find out who the mysterious assailant could have been or how he could have known that Lee was RaiLeon; when their questioning turned up no answers, Leo had decided the best way to get those answers was from the man who had done it. He began searching for anything he could use to track down his prey – a scent, a footprint, even a lock of hair.

Nothing. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find anything that would have let him track down the one who had attacked Lee.

That had been the tipping point for his anger: he charged off, leaving Leo and Aya alone as he began scouring the city from one end to the other in search of someone fitting Lee's description. Yet, it was as if the man simply didn't exist. Those he had questioned hadn't seen anyone like him, he didn't see him amongst the mingling crowds of the city or within the multitude of stores – it was as it the man simply faded from existence.

_I must find him!_ he thought, fists clenching and unclenching as he thought about what he would do to the man once he found him. _He harmed someone close to me… I will not allow it! He must pay for this!_ He started down the alley, intent on resuming his search, when a figure suddenly blocked his path. He glared at them, only briefly considering the metal bat that was slung over their shoulder, and growled, "Out of my way."

The young man said nothing and instead pointed his bat at the remains of the trashcan. "You plan on paying for that, punk?" he asked. When Leo said nothing, the youth snorted in annoyance. "Figures. You know, it's people like you who give the Seishin District a bad name! You think you can just run rampant, smashing whatever you like and causing trouble?" He let the tip of the bat hit the floor of the alleyway, then pointed at himself with the thumb of his free hand. "You wanna cause trouble 'round here? Fine, but you'd better be ready for a fight!"

"I have no intentions of causing trouble here," Leo snapped, "nor do I care to fight you at this moment. Right now, I have only one opponent I wish to fight." The Guardian Beast began to walk forwards again, only to stop when the young man in front of him began walking towards him. "Move aside, now!" he ordered.

The young man didn't even flinch, and instead ran a hand through his black hair. "You must be crazy if you think I'm just going to let you waltz on by after the racket you've been making. Just turn around and head on home, if you really aren't here to start trouble. I've already got enough punks to deal with; I don't want to take on another one, but that doesn't mean I won't."

Leo's eyes narrowed to slits. "I won't be told what to do. Not by some weakling who would use a weapon against an unarmed opponent."

"Oh, this?" The young man held up the bat, then threw it aside. "I only bust that thing out to help get my point across. I don't need it to handle a couple of street thugs, _or_ some uppity punk who wants to run around and throw a temper tantrum." He shrugged off the leather jacket he was wearing, fully exposing the purple, grinning face of a demon that was emblazoned on his shirt. "So, you aren't going to leave nicely? Fine. Let's go!"

"I recommend you don't even try fighting me," Leo growled as he got into a well-practiced fighting stance, fists held loosely in front of his face. However, as he did, he couldn't help but notice the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he had seen this young man before. Not that it mattered at the moment. "I do not wish to harm you, but in my current state, I may not be able to hold back."

The young man got into his own stance, one that seemed more appropriate for a boxer. "I'm not nearly as fragile as you think I am."

Finally reaching the end of his patience, Leo let out a snarl. "Then enough talk!" he bellowed, rushing forwards. His opponent didn't move, not until Leo threw his first punch; the young man twisted out of the way, already lashing out with a strong right jab to the Guardian Beast's stomach. Years upon years of training allowed Leo to properly redirect it, and, as his opponent attempted to regain their balance, he swept his legs from beneath him.

As he fell, the young man slapped both hands on the ground and pushed up, launching himself headfirst into Leo's gut. The Spirt of Lightning gasped in shock as he fell back, holding his stomach out of instinct rather than injury. _I didn't expect that attack… Either my abilities as a fighter have diminished over the years, or he is a much worthier opponent than I had thought._ A grin started to spread across his face, the adrenaline rush of battle flowing through him. _Either way, I think I might just enjoy this!_

The two combatants rushed each other again. Leo ducked under a sweeping kick that had been aimed at his head and countered with an elbow to the ribs. His opponent recovered just in time to start avoiding the flurry of strikes aimed at him, until one punch went just wide enough for him to retaliate. Driving his fist straight into Leo's stomach, he followed up with a knee to the face that left the Spirit dizzied and vulnerable to a combination of punches that ended with a left hook to the chin that knocked him against the wall. Shaking the stars from his head, Leo pushed away from the wall and lashed out with a swift side kick that, though blocked, was strong enough to break the young man's guard; keeping the momentum, he spun around to deliver a roundhouse that drove his opponent to the ground, though he didn't stay there long. Leo slowly approached him, guard up, only to be surprised when his opponent burst forwards and rammed into him shoulder-first. Both of them hit the ground, and slowly began to rise, their eyes never leaving the other.

"Gotta admit," the young man said as they got to their feet, "you aren't a bad fighter. Definitely more than just an average guy off the street."

"I am pleasantly surprised with your prowess as well," Leo admitted. _Ah, how long has it been since I've had a true fight? For so long, I have resorted to lending my power to a Host; I had forgotten the joy of fighting with your own body!_ Rolling his shoulder slightly, he chuckled. "It's funny – I came here looking for someone else, yet now I am overjoyed to have encountered you. Under normal circumstance, I doubt this meeting would have ever occurred. Tell me, what is your name?"

The young man spat out to the side, not caring about the small amount of blood that came from his mouth. "Name's Eiji. Eiji Toriyama."

Leo's eyes widened just a fraction as recognition hit him. _He's the one Lee fought when he first arrived! Hmm… Had he been ready to actually fight that day, I wonder how it would have played out?_ He let out a small 'hmm' as he pondered the scenario. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Eiji Toriyama. I am known as Leo."

"Heh. Pleasure's all mine," Eiji responded. Cracking his neck slightly, he finally got back into his stance, as did Leo. "Know what? I think this is the first time I've been in a good fight in a long time."

"Likewise."

And with that, the two rushed each other, eager to continue their battle.

* * *

Aya let out a loud groan as she leaned away from the table, stretching her arms way above her head. "Ugh, why does biology have to be so complicated?" she complained, eyeing the textbook in front of her with undisguised annoyance. "So many terms and definitions, all those different things happening all at once, trying to remember what does what – how are you supposed to remember all of this stuff?"

"It's called studying," Lee replied dryly with a roll of his eyes. He ignored Aya sticking her tongue out at him and looked away, out towards the trees that surrounded them. They were in the middle of the park, in the most heavily wooded area, at a small pavilion that had been built as something of a rest area. Aya had more-or-less made this their official study area for whenever Lee would tutor her. After Leo had run off and their search for him turned up fruitless, they decided to make the best of things and come here to study. However, he had to wonder, even though he wasn't quite willing to bring it up, as to why she wouldn't want to study at her own house. _Now that I think about it, she's never really brought up her home life… Then again, I haven't mentioned much about mine, either._

"I know, I know: I'll get better at this the more I study, but… None of it sticks, you know?" Resting her elbows on the table, she buried her face in her hands and sighed. "Do you have any really good study tips, Lee? Maybe a way I can just make myself instantly know all of this?" Hearing no response, she looked up to see Lee looking behind himself, putting the bandage covering his bruised cheek on full display for her. Sighing, she lightly pushed his shoulder to get his attention. "You really need to stop worry so much about that guy. That's the third time you've started watching for him since we've got here, and it hasn't even been an hour yet!"

Lee lowered his head and sighed. "I just can't help but feel anxious whenever I think about that guy. I mean, he shows up out of nowhere, basically says, 'humanity sucks', beats me down, reveals he knows who I am, and that he knows about Mithras and everything else!" He threw his hands up in defeat. "How can I not worry about this? I mean, I could hardly care less about him saying humans are scum or punching me, but him knowing about RaiLeon? Or my full name? What if that's not all that he knows – what if he knows about where I live, or about my family, or-"

In an attempt to cut off any potential rambling, Aya reached across the table and flicked her friend on the forehead. Smiling at the glare he gave her, she said, "Look, I get it. You're scared; I would be too if I was in your position. But worrying about this guy nonstop isn't going to solve anything! You're probably doing exactly what he wants you to do – do you really want to let him win like that?" She folded her arms and shook her head. "Besides, you stood up to that scaly freak Zabon without any armor before; are you really going to let some weirdo in a suit scare you now?"

Lee sat in thought, not moving or speaking for several seconds. Then, he began to chuckle; that chuckle evolved into a laugh that had him clutching his sides. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he finally admitted after calming down. "I mean, I've fought scarier and tougher things than him before, and I'm not just talking about Mithras' Hell Beasts." Leaning forwards against the table, he chuckled a bit more, then gave a small smile. "Thanks, Aya. I really needed to hear that, to have someone snap me out of that." Glancing upwards, he added, "Though, could you not flick me so hard next time? That actually kind of hurt."

"Oh, don't be a baby!"

As the two of them continued to chat amicably, they didn't notice the man who was watching them from within the woods. Adjusting the hat he wore, the white suited man just sighed in defeat. "Well, there goes my plan to scare him out of fighting Mithras. Poor boy really would be better off just giving it up at this point; those monsters are nothing compared to how bad Mithras is, and all the training in the world wouldn't matter if they fought." With a small shrug, he began to walk off. "Well, I tried words and coercion, and they failed. Guess there's only one thing to do now," he remarked as he disappeared into the park.

* * *

"So, some guy just beats your friend down like that, after telling him that all people are nothing but trash? Man, that's messed up," Eiji remarked before taking a swig of his soda. Coughing slightly as he brought the can away from his mouth, he continued, "I mean, I've run into guys like that before – they're usually the ones spouting off 'bout how the world's coming to an end and we're all doomed. Generic crazy person stuff, yeah? But to beat someone down like that, just because they didn't agree?" He let out a small 'hoo' and shook his head.

Leo nodded, cradling his own drink between his hands. It had been a few minutes since their fight had concluded; they decided to call it a draw, by virtue of neither of them actually being able to stand up after a particularly harsh exchange of blows ended with both of them on the ground, gasping for air. They both sported rather nasty bruises across their bodies, and more than a few cuts. Eiji had wound up with a particularly bad cut along his arm, sustained after hitting the ground at the wrong angle, though he didn't seem to pay it much attention. Now they sat together on a bench on the side of the road, talking and enjoying a few drinks, courtesy of Eiji. "That is why I was in the area when you found me: I have been searching for this man ever since I learned of the incident."

"You wanna make the guy pay for what he did to your pal, huh?"

Leo grunted. "It is more than just simple revenge for his actions. He has brought harm to someone that I care for, when I should have been there to keep them from harm." He lowered his head, a small sigh escaping him. _What if I had lost Lee? That man could easily have killed him, and I would never have known._ He shuddered at the very thought and his grip began to tighten around the can he held. _I… I don't think I could bear it, the burden of losing someone again, especially not in such a way. Were it in battle, it would be different, but a knife in the back? Or an assassin at night?_

Seeing the pained thoughts that were plainly written on his newfound companion's face, Eiji lightly bumped him with his shoulder. "Hey. I get what you're saying, man. There's a whole lot of people 'round here that I feel like I have to protect, and I'd blame myself to Hell and back if something bad happened to them and I wasn't there. Thing is, I can't be everywhere at once; the Seishin is a pretty big district, and I'm just one guy. Stuff happens, and I can't do anything about it." Folding his hands behind his head, he leaned back on the bench. "But I _can_ do a few things about it afterwards.

"The first and most obvious thing I can do is go after whoever it was that caused the trouble and show them what happens when they get on my bad side, you know? But that just raises a whole bunch of other problems: I might get hurt getting back at them, I might never find them and wind up wasting time, and the whole payback thing really isn't all that satisfying, sadly. So I do the next best thing." He looked over to Leo, who, despite staring straight ahead, was clearly listening. "I do whatever I can to help them out, make sure they're okay, and do my best to make sure that, if something happens again, I'll be there."

Leo chuckled bitterly. "You make it sound so easy, so simple. Yet, I cannot help but worry about what could have happened to him, or what may happen in the future. I… I do not want to lose a friend in such a way."

Eiji shrugged. "Never said it was easy. Took me a couple years to figure all this out by myself, and I still have trouble sticking to it some days. There's times where I just wanna take everybody and lock 'em all up in my home, so they'll be safe and secure. Thing is, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't want me to do that, and I'm also pretty sure they wouldn't want me worrying about them so much." Staying quiet for a moment, he finally spoke up again. "Hey, your friend? Does he know how to fight?"

Taking a drink from his heavily dented soda can, Leo nodded. "Quite well, though he admits to being somewhat out of practice." A small smile crossed his face as he looked over at Eiji. "Actually, you should know that he can fight. After all, he managed to beat you without even throwing a single punch."

The soda that Eiji had been drinking at that point suddenly spewed from his mouth, his eyes widening comically as he realized who Leo was talking about. "W-wait, you're friends with that kid from the States?" When Leo simply gave him a nod in reply, Eiji blinked. "Man. Small world, I guess. But hey, you know that he's exaggerating right?" he asked, almost sounding desperate. "Yeah, he got me quick, but he threw a few punches himself!"

"Sure," Leo responded, rolling his eyes.

"I ain't lying! Come on, you just got out of a fight with me; you'd know better than anyone that I wouldn't go down that easy! That fight lasted at least three minutes, maybe three-and-a-half!"

"I saw the fight with my own eyes, by the way."

Eiji visibly wilted and his head drooped miserably. "…You were at the station that day?" Groaning in frustration, he stood up and looked back at Leo. "Could you… I mean, don't tell anyone about that, alright? I really don't need some of the folks 'round here thinking I'm weak or anything."

Leo offered him his hand. "The secret of your swift defeat will stay safe with me, I promise."

Though he winced at the mention of a 'swift defeat', Eiji still took Leo's hand and shook it. "Thanks man. Look, I gotta get going. Promised I'd help out a few people today, and I think I'm already running late." He started off, only to stop and add, "Hey, if your friend really is that good a fighter, then you've got nothing to worry about! That guy who beat him? Had to have used some kinda cheap trick; there's no way he would've won otherwise."

As his friend walked away, Leo couldn't help but mull over those words. "A trick? Lee mentioned how he had been blinded by a flash of light… I wonder, could it really have been something so simple?" He hoped that it was something simple, something they could work around if they ever encountered that man again, but deep down…

Deep down, Leo knew there was more to this than simple tricks.

* * *

Malrok sniffed disdainfully as he looked down upon the city and its inhabitants, at how they lived so freely and without care. "Fools, every single one of them! Why do they not seek shelter, knowing that Lord Mithras has come with an army at his beck and call?" He walked over to the center of the building he was standing upon, over to where Tapir was standing dutifully, awaiting his orders.

The Hell Beast was donned in bronze armor, handcrafted by Zabon in his forge. The forearms and shins were completely covered, while the upper arm and thighs only had a few thick rings of armor protecting them. Over its chest was a breastplate molded to resemble the pectoral and abdominal muscles; around its waist was a thick leather belt with strands of leather hanging down to the Beast's knees, forming something of a skirt. The helmet on its head was somewhat odd: in order to accommodate the trunk on its forehead, the top of his head was completely unprotected, making the helmet appear to simply be wrapping around the sides of his face. Clutched in his hands was a large steel ball, the chain connected to it coiled around his right arm.

"Lord Malrok!" the Hell Beast saluted as his maker approached him. "I am yours to command! How am I to serve you and Emperor Mithras?"

With a snap of his fingers, Malrok summoned forth a pack of Imps, the creatures already wanting to go on the attack and wreak havoc in the human city. "Tapir, you will be responsible for creating as much mayhem and destruction as you possibly can. Use everything at your disposal, including these Imps." As Tapir stood to leave, Malrok stopped him, gently placing his hand on the monster's shoulder. "Ah, but first…" With a glance up towards the sun, he gave an exaggerated sigh. "My, my. So bright, and its making things so hot out today – if only the sky would darken a bit, perhaps a few clouds to dampen the light."

Quickly getting the hint, Tapir grunted in the affirmative and walked over to the edge of the building. "It shall be done, Lord Malrok!" he proudly declared. Raising his head towards the sun, the trunk extending from his forehead lifted up and pointed upwards. Thick, black clouds of smoke began to shoot out from the appendage, slowly but surely filling the sky and blotting out the light of the sun.

Below, people began to take notice and looked up, curious as to what was happening. Many of them, seeing the smoke, began to dial for the fire department, thinking that a massive fire had just broken out somewhere. Others were taking pictures or dialing to call friends and family to inform them of what was happening. As more and more smoke began to fill the air, people began to get anxious, with some of them already looking for a safe place to duck down until everything was over. Soon, when it became clear that something bad was happening, they began to scatter.

And then the Imps began their attack, and chaos took hold of the streets.

From his vantage point on the building, Malrok bellowed with laughter. "Yes… Yes! Listen to their screams, their cries of fear!" He thrust his arms out to his sides and looked up at the darkened sky. "Let their fear be the catalyst for the Awakening! Let it be the key to Lord Mithras' victory, to the dawn of a new age!" Looking to Tapir, who simply stood in place, he motioned towards the streets below. "Make sure you enjoy yourself," he said simply. Without a moment's hesitation, the Hell Beast leapt from the building's roof, landing on top of a parked car and utterly crushing it beneath its weight. Malrok simply laughed in amusement. "And now, I wait. Come, RaiLeon! Let us see if my magic is more dangerous than Zabon's fists!"

* * *

The moment they saw the plume of smoke rising into the sky, Lee and Aya had known something was wrong. Neither wanted to voice their suspicions that this was Mithras' work – it could easily have been a bad fire – but that didn't slow their running as they headed straight for the black column that was managing to turn the day to night so quickly. Their fears were realized, however, when they arrived to see Imps chasing after anyone they saw. Amidst the screams of terror, they could also hear the harsh, choking coughs of the people who were suffering from the smoke itself.

Even Lee wasn't immune to it, as he quickly pulled the collar of his shirt over his mouth and nose as a makeshift mask. "This is really bad," he coughed, looking around as a sense of helplessness came over him. "Of all the times for Leo not to be here!" A pair of Imps heard his frustrated shout and looked over to him, screeching in glee when they saw the pair of young adults standing there. They charged, swords ready to strike, letting out a shrill battle cry that the Imps around them took up.

Lee reacted quickly, placing himself between Aya and the oncoming group of monsters. To his surprise, however, Aya shoved him aside. "I'm not just a pretty face, you know," she remarked. "I'm pretty sure I can handle a few of these guys."

Lee didn't have time to say anything, as the Imps finally met them and attacked. He moved out of the way of their haphazard slashes, doing his best to keep from getting sliced to ribbons by their blades. As one slash went particularly wide, he quickly grabbed the offending Imp's arm and twisted it, making the creature drop its weapon as it cried in pain. Throwing the unarmed opponent at a pair of its allies, he quickly dove for the monster's weapon. With it in hand, he turned back to face his opponents, sparing a moment to check on how Aya was faring.

To his surprise, she almost looked like she was enjoying herself. She seemed to dance in between the attacks of the Imps, moving fluidly and without hesitation. When one of them lunged at her, sword extended, she made a surprising move by simply bending over backwards and letting the blade soar over her, straight into the chest of another Imp that promptly collapsed to the ground. Placing both palms on the ground, she quickly flipped into a handstand, kicking the Imp that had attacked her with both of her feet, and then completed the impromptu cartwheel just in time to start avoiding the Imps again.

_Whoa… Never knew she could do __**that**__,_ Lee thought. The lapse in concentration nearly cost him dearly, as he barely had enough time to block an Imp's sword. Quickly getting back into the battle, he kicked the monster as hard as he could, then followed up by cutting it across the chest with his sword. He moved quickly, going from Imp to Imp as he swung the weapon he held, doing his best not to get hit himself. For a while, he was doing quite well, even managing to take out a few of the Imps by himself.

Then he heard the clattering of chains and the sound of something flying through the air; he dropped to the ground just in time, as a steel ball connected to a chain flew overhead in an arc that smashed the remainder of his opponents to pieces. Craning his head, his eyes widened as he saw the Tapir Hell Beast grab the speeding ball with one hand and hold it without any difficulty. A steady stream of smoke was pouring from the trunk on its head, and its teeth gnashed together as it looked at him. "You… You are RaiLeon!"

"What- You can talk…?" Lee wondered, stunned at the monster's ability to speak. He shook himself out of his daze, however, and leapt to his feet, crouched low as he anticipated another attack. He saw the smoke pouring from its head and quickly put together what was happening. "I get it: you're the one responsible for making all of this smoke, huh?"

The monster's response was a simple one; it threw the steel ball it held straight at Lee, intent on crushing him beneath its weight. The young man quickly threw himself to the side, and moments later the ball crushed the spot where he had been standing. He began to get up, only for something small and hard to strike him in the chest – _several_ somethings, to be exact, and he fell to the ground as the acrid stench of smoke almost made him feel like retching. A shadow fell over him, and on pure instinct he rolled out of the way, and, upon hearing the sound of shattering stone, he decided instinct had just saved him. "Stay still!" the Tapir Hell Beast shouted, furiously gnashing its teeth together as it pulled back on the chain. Swinging his ball-and-chain over his head, he fixed his gaze on Lee and prepared to unleash his weapon again-

"Get back!"

-when agony exploded in the small of his back, the result of a lightning-fueled punch, making the Hell Beast lose its focus. The steel ball swung wildly and wrapped around his body, finally striking Tapir in the chest with enough force to smash in his breastplate. As he struggled to remove the chains from his body and stand, Lee watched as Leo walked over and offered him a hand up. "That's twice today you've been attacked when I wasn't around," the Spirit of Lightning remarked. "I truly wonder if you require a guard at all times."

Lee chuckled at the slight ribbing, the clutched at his chest as he felt the pain from Tapir's attack flare up again. "Not so sure if I need a bodyguard, but I could definitely do with some better luck," he replied. Looking Leo in the eye, he saw the bruises and cuts littering the Guardian Beast's body. "Wait a sec. You look like you've just taken on a small gang by yourself and you say _I _need a bodyguard?" Scoffing incredulously, he added, "What did you get yourself into while you were away?"

Leo smirked mysteriously and pretended to look at his fingernails. "Oh, a bit of this, a little of that – nothing that you need to concern yourself with, just letting off a bit of steam." Growing serious, he looked over the Tapir Hell Beast and snarled. "Now, I'd say it's high time this one was defeated. I can't stand the smell of smoke, especially when it's so thick in the air." Changing into a ball of electricity, he flew around Lee before entering the young man's chest, the belt forming a moment later.

Lee wasted no time, quickly calling out 'Henshin!' as he struck open the mouth of the lion and summoned the armor of RaiLeon. Throwing the Imp's sword away, he quickly summoned his personal sword before looking back to Aya, who was still easily dodging the clumsy attacks of the Imps. "Aya, stand clear!" he shouted, running the sword in front of the belt and charging it with energy. Seeing what he was about to do, the young woman kicked one of the Imps away and quickly ran from the pack, just as Lee finished drawing the sphere of electricity in the air. "Lightning Shoot!" he called, leaping up and kicking it straight towards the weaker monsters. They all cried out as one before it hit, detonating in an explosion of electricity that destroyed each of them. Aya gave him a quick thumbs-up, and he gave her one in reply.

A series of painful blasts erupted across his back, making him hiss in pain as he stumbled forwards. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Tapir Hell Beast back on his feet, minus the ruined breastplate he had discarded. "Finally showing yourself, RaiLeon?" he bellowed, swinging the ball-and-chain faster and faster, until it was little more than a blur of metal. "Too bad." Tapir's trunk lifted up and began to unleash a stream of smoke that covered the entire area. "Because now, you can't see me!" Tapir called from within the cloud of smoke.

Lee looked around frantically, trying to figure out where the monster could be, when he received his answer in the form of a metal sphere striking him in the back and throwing him into the air. As he recovered, somewhat shakily, he cursed under his breath. "Any ideas, Leo?"

"_I suppose we could use the Tortoise Core to increase our defense, but I doubt it would last us forever. Besides, we have no way of telling where our foe is." _The Guardian Beast growled in annoyance. _"Curse this blasted smokescreen and the coward who would use it! I can't pick up a trace of his scent, and he's being remarkably quiet for such bulky creature…"_

Lee grimaced beneath his helmet, then blinked as an idea came to him. "I've got the craziest idea right now," he told Leo as he reached to the side of his belt and drew out the Tortoise Core. Placing it in the lion's mouth, he quickly shut it.

"**Tortoise! Spirit of Shields!"**

No sooner did the belt finish its announcement, a green tortoise shell made of energy formed in front of Lee. It hovered in the air a moment, then flowed into him, causing a faint green outline to form over his body. _"Well, it increased our defenses for a time,"_ Leo admitted. _"I'm not sure if I follow your plan, though."_

"Wait for it…" Lee quietly muttered, not moving an inch as he waited for the right time to act. Seconds seemed to stretch out into minutes, and minutes into hours as he stood there, patient and calm. His head snapped to the side as the sound of something rushing through the air came to his ears, and he quickly turned to face the metal ball just as it was about to strike him. When it did, however, it seemed to do no damage, bouncing off of the green energy that was flowing around RaiLeon at the moment. As it bounced away, Lee acted, reaching out and grabbing the chain with both of his hands. "Gotcha now!" he called out into the smoke, smirking as he felt the frantic tugs from the Tapir Hell Beast trying to retrieve its weapon.

Meanwhile, Leo just shook his head. _He took the hit just so he could grab the opponent's weapon, therefore telling him where the Hell Beast was. Clever._ A vicious growl rumbled up from his throat. _"Now, let us clear the air, shall we?"_

Ignoring the bad joke, Lee smiled and cried, "Let's!" Electricity crackled along Lee's gauntlet, flowing into the chain he was holding onto and presumably into the Hell Beast… only for nothing to happen. Then, to his shock, the chain went completely slack, as though Tapir had let go of it. "What just-"

"Foolish child!"

Both Guardian Beast and Host cried out in pain as spheres of dark energy cascaded down around them, the resultant explosions flinging the Golden Warrior into the air. As he fell, a massive ball of black smoke flew towards him and impacted against his body, knocking him clear out of the smokescreen and into the streets, where he landed heavily against a car. Lee gasped in pain as he struggled to get up, only to stop when a beefy fist collided with the side of his helmet. His head slammed against the surface of the road, and his vision swam; he could just make out two shapes – one being the Hell Beast, and the other…

Was that… a human?

"Stand him up," the more humanoid of the two shapes commanded. The Hell Beast obeyed, hefting Lee up by his shoulders. The humanoid shape grabbed Lee's head and held it still. "So," they started, "this is the one. This is the one who has been destroying my Hell Beasts. The one who has been such a thorn in Lord Mithras' side." They chuckled as they shook their head. "Did you really think that I wouldn't have anticipated you attempting to use the metal weaponry and armor my Hell Beast wears against it? That I would not have learned from what you did to Panther? How utterly pathetic…"

Lee groaned, squinting as he tried to bring focus back to his vision. Slowly, he started to make out details, such as the robes the figure wore, the violet ribbon that hung from his shoulder, and the large black tome he held beneath one arm. "Who… are you…?" Lee asked, slowly getting his bearings back.

"Me?" the figure asked, tilting their head to the side. "I am Malrok, Lord Mithras' personal sorcerer and tactician, as well as one of his generals."

"_He's as highly ranked as Zabon is! Yet… Lee, that magic he used against us – for him to use it puts him at a much higher level of power than the Draconian! It is an ancient form of magic, extremely difficult to control and long thought to be lost. Only Mithras himself was thought to possess the ability to utilize it. How this one has managed to learn it, I don't know…"_

Malrok shook his head and chortled. "Ah, but I fear that you don't have enough time left in this world to curse my name. For you see, unlike Zabon-" he held up his hand, forming a sphere of black energy, red lightning coursing through it "-I care not for the so-called 'thrill' that combat brings. I merely achieve my goals in the quickest and most efficient way possible." The Tapir Hell Beast suddenly let go of Lee, just as Malrok moved forwards and slammed the sphere into Lee's chest. The young man was thrown back as the energy washed over him, and he collapsed to the ground in a heap, his transformation just barely holding together. Malrok, meanwhile, lifted his tome. The book's cover opened by itself as it began to float in front of him, the eye on its cover glowing ever brighter. Dark energies began to form above Malrok, twisting and shaping themselves into a long spear, one aimed directly at Lee. "I had hoped for more of a challenge, but I suppose finishing you will be reward enough. Farewell, RaiLeon." He stretched his arms out as he prepared to send the spear forwards. "Enjoy the abyss-"

The agonized scream of the Tapir Hell Beast broke the sorcerer's concentration, and the spear dissolved as he turned to see a horrific sight: something had burned a hole straight through Tapir's chest, large enough for a fist to fit into. "W-What!?" Malrok screeched, stumbling backwards in shock. "H-how!? How did this happen!" he demanded, though he was quietly dreading the answer.

It was the flash from the attack itself that kept him from being struck; he turned just in time to deflect the ray of light that had been aimed at him, knocking it to the ground with the back of his hand. A low whistle rang out as the figure across the street from Malrok began applauding. "Not bad, Mr. Sorcerer, not bad at all. Not a lot of creatures can react fast enough to block one of my attacks," the man said, adjusting the fedora on his head ever-so-slightly. "But then, what's to be expected from someone Mithras considers to be a general? I'd have been kind of upset if that'd hit you, Mr. Sorcerer – wouldn't want to start thinking Mithras was getting sloppy, would we?"

Malrok fumed at the insults, a sphere of darkness already coalescing in each hand. "How… _dare _you! You would disrespect me? You would disrespect Lord Mithras in such a way!? I don't know who or what you are, nor how you managed to do that, but I know this – you will die, now!" He thrust both arms forwards, sending the spheres of darkness at the man. They struck and detonated, throwing up a cloud of dust and debris that hid the man from sight. Malrok laughed loudly at the apparent death of his opponent, only to stop when he saw the light coming from within the dust cloud. "What is that?"

A form burst from the debris, both majestic and terrifying at the same time. It possessed the body of a deer, but with a serpentine neck and tail. Shining white fur covered its legs and ran across its back, with tufts sprouting from behind the two antlers resting on its head and a large fan of it splayed out on its tail. Bronze scales protected the top of its body and its neck, along with its underbelly and tail. Solid black hooves floated above the road as it sped towards Malrok, a sphere of light gathering between the great antlers on its head. Just like the rest of its body, the head resembled a cross between a deer and a dragon, fur and scales intermingling together. Two cold, green eyes fixed themselves on the sorcerer, lacking any emotion, save for contempt.

Lee sat on the ground, awestruck by the sight. When he had first seen the white suited man, he had to wonder what he was doing here, then just what he was when he saw what the man was capable of. But now, seeing this form in front of him… "He's a Guardian Beast," he muttered, unable to take his eyes off of the creature that was effortlessly flying past Malrok's attacks, the sphere between its antlers growing brighter and brighter by the second.

Leo was similarly awestruck, but for a different reason entirely. _Impossible… It can't be… He- He died in the first battle against Mithras! He was listed amongst the casualties, he was given one of the finest burials._ A sudden thought struck him and his mind went blank as he realized one thing: _We never found a body, neither his nor his Host's._ Shaking himself from his shock, he attempted to do the same with Lee. _"Lee, now's our chance! Grab the Moth Core, quick!"_

Dumbly, Lee nodded and took out the Moth Core. He opened the lion's mouth, ejecting the Tortoise Core, and swapped the two's positions.

"**Moth! Spirit of Healing Spores!"**

As he felt energy surging back into his body, his injuries fading away as though they never existed, Lee finally worked up the nerve to ask the question that was on his mind. "Leo, who is that? He's a Guardian Beast, right?"

"_He is far more than a simple Guardian Beast," _Leo replied, the reverence in his tone shocking Lee. _"He is one of the few Guardian Beasts to ever truly obtain mastery over their aspect. His power is considered legend, even by his peers, and his only defeat was at the hands of Mithras himself – or so the story goes."_ Taking in a breath to calm himself, Leo closed his eyes as he spoke: _"He is Kirin, Spirit of Light, one of the few Guardian Beasts known as the Legendary Beasts for their abilities. Why he is here, I don't know… nor do I know why he attacked you today…"_

Kirin, who was seemingly tired of dodging Malrok's ceaseless barrage of attacks, finally unleashed his own attack: light shot from his horns, a brilliant beam that shot straight towards the great sorcerer. Malrok quickly raised a shield to defend himself, and even though he put all of his strength into it, he still felt the barrier weakening under the Legend's assault. Growling, he threw his tome into the air, where it began to seemingly draw in dark energy from the surroundings. "I don't care what you are, I will not fall!" he declared as the tome released a wave of darkness that cut through Kirin's attack, enshrouding both Malrok and Tapir in the process. When the wave finally dissipated, neither were anywhere in sight.

Kirin's eyes narrowed in annoyance, and in a flash of light he resumed his human shaped. Stretching his arms and cracking his neck, he turned to look at Lee, who was just now getting to his feet. "Enjoy the show, boy?" he asked, sounding far too casual than he should. He started walking towards Lee, who began backing off. "Oh? What's wrong, scared of me now that you know what I am? Just now realizing that you should've listened to me?" he taunted, his tone growing colder and colder by the second. He stopped in the middle of the street, staring straight at Lee. "I warned you last time. So, are you going to give up, now that you see just what you'll be getting into, should you keep going down this path?"

Lee shook his head, having trouble keeping up with everything that had just happened. "I… I don't understand! You're a Guardian Beast, aren't you? Aren't you supposed to be protecting humanity? Why do you hate us so much?" he demanded, gripping his sword tightly. "And why… Why are you so determined for me to give up? I can help you! We can fight Mithras together!"

Kirin snorted in disgust as he lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes. "Why would I protect a race as worthless as humanity? A race of liars and backstabbers, who care nothing for those around them, who see the world and everything in it as something exploitable – give me one reason why I should bother protecting them!" he snapped. Shaking his head, he continued, "And if you think I would work with a human, even if it meant beating Mithras, then you have another thing coming. I don't need a Host to stop him, and I don't need any human holding me back!" His eyes flashed for a moment, and the ghostly image of his true form's head appeared in front of him. The image changed into a stream of light that began to wrap itself around his waist, forming a belt when it had finished. "If you won't get out of my way, if you won't listen to reason… maybe you'll listen to force!"

Legs spread slightly apart, Kirin raised his left hand skyward, his ring and little finger curled inwards while his thumb, index, and middle finger were all extended upwards. His arm was bent at the elbow, with his right hand hovering just beneath. He took in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

"Hen…shin!"

The mouth of the kirin on his belt shot open, and small spheres of light poured out as he brought his left hand to rest by his hip, fingers still extended, and held his right hand out in front of himself. The spheres began to swirl around him, growing closer and closer until they covered his body and gave off one final flash of light, revealing the armored form of a Warrior.

"I am the harsh light of judgement," Kirin stated, curling the fingers of his right hand inwards. Light flowed between his fingers, forming a bow that resembled the antlers of a deer. Pointing the weapon at Lee, he brought his left hand to where the string would be, causing a string of light to appear. He pulled back on the string, summoning an arrow.

"The White Warrior of Light, Hikarin. Prepare for judgement!" he declared, releasing the arrow.

* * *

**_Don't you just love cliffhangers? No? Well, neither do I to be honest, but I felt it was a bit necessary here. Adds a bit more tension, you know?  
_**

**_So, I thought I'd take this chance to explain a few things, namely: Hikarin. For those who have read my previous version of this story, you'd know that Hikarin was nowhere to be found in the chapters I had posted of that story. In fact, he was never supposed to be included in the story at all! So, how exactly did he come into being? Well, while I was going through an overhaul for this story, I received PM from someone who, unless they wish to be named, shall remain nameless. They contacted me and asked if I would take a look at a Rider they had made for this story; I saw no reason not to, so I took a look._**

**_And suddenly, I was inspired!_**

**_Now, to be clear on a few things: First, I did not ask for the character given to me, nor am I asking for any characters to be sent in. This was a purely spur of the moment thing. Secondly, Hikarin/Kirin is not the character that was sent to me; that character did inspire me to create Hikarin, and maybe one or two other Riders. Finally, that character will be appearing in this story, though again this is not an invitation for people to send their own characters in. Not trying to be rude, but I'm wanting to head off anything of that sort before it gets started._**

**_On another note, there's a bit of story behind this chapter. Yesterday (June 9, 2015), I had finished working on it for the day, and it was about halfway-to-two/thirds of the way done, when I received a PM from someone who regularly reviews this story. Apparently, today is their birthday, and they asked me if they could see a teaser of this chapter as a sort of present. Well, I thought to do a bit better than just a teaser, so I booted Word back up and kept working until I was even closer to finishing than before; today, I put the finishing touches on it. So, to the person who sent me that PM (you know who you are), I have one thing to say: Happy Birthday._**

**_...Oh, and speaking of birthdays, mine just so happens to be today (June 10) as well. So there's that, which also kind of fueled me on to finish this chapter. Hopefully you all enjoy it._**

**_Anyway, long Author's Note is long, and I'm ready to end this! So, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to read this story, and give a double thank-you to the long time readers for putting up with how long it takes for me to get this thing updated. If you'd be so kind as to leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it, as I can only get better through your creative input. Even if you don't review, I hope you all have a wonderful day._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Episode 5: Light of Judgement**

The arrow struck Lee squarely in the center of his chest, flying faster than he could even see. He tumbled to the ground, rolling on his side until he hit the edge of the sidewalk. A shadow fell over him and out of pure reflex he lifted his sword up to block Hikarin's bow. "What are you doing!?" he shouted. Hikarin said nothing and instead began applying more and more pressure to his weapon, forcing Lee to press his free hand against the flat of the blade to keep himself safe. "We both want to stop Mithras, so why aren't we working together!? What do you have against us humans!?"

"Far too much for you to understand," Hikarin coldly replied. He delivered a series of swift kicks to his prone opponent's side, throwing him up onto the sidewalk. Holding both arms out to his side, he watched as the young man rolled to his feet. "You don't quite understand, do you boy? You think that you can save everyone from Mithras? That no one will die if you keep on fighting as you are?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Wake up and smell the ashes!" He indicated the area around them, the destruction that had been caused by the Imps and the Hell Beast, and chuckled. "This is a war, boy! A war against an enemy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and if anyone is to stop him, they have to throw away the idea of being able to save everyone."

"Like hell that's true!" Lee snapped angrily. He threw himself forwards and began striking at his opponent furiously, his anger rising further and further with every dodged or redirected slash. Hikarin finally acted and blocked his sword, forcing Lee to push against him. "You're just going to give up, just like that? Write off the chance of saving everyone?"

"There is no chance! People will die as a result of this war, whether you like it or not!"

"But why not at least _try _to save everyone!?" With a frustrated shout, Lee pushed Hikarin back, following with a punch that landed on the White Warrior's shoulder, to seemingly no effect. "Everything that Leo's told me about the Guardian Beasts – how humanity practically worshipped you all in the past, how you did all you could to protect them and any other species on this planet-"

"Worthless drivel from an idealistic fool!" Grabbing Lee's wrist, Hikarin twisted around and drove his elbow into the Golden Warrior's shoulder, forcing him to his knees as Hikarin applied more and more pressure to the hold. "Leo… That's what you call the Spirit of Lightning, isn't it? I remember him: young, fresh, always an eager one. He was one of the staunchest believers in the Guardian Beasts' doctrines," he recalled with a hint of nostalgia. Suddenly he lifted his elbow and began to drive down between Lee's shoulder and neck, over and over as his voice grew colder. "And yet after all that he's seen, all that he's experience, he's still too naïve to understand one. Important. Thing!" Shifting his free hand so that it rested beneath Lee's arm, he hauled the youth to his feet so that they were face-to-face. "In war, those doctrines are nothing but dirt! All that matters is victory!" Hikarin declared as he threw Lee back and began to slash at him with his bow.

Sparks flew with each strike as Lee cried out, desperately trying to guard against the expertly executed attacks. His attempts at blocking with his sword were futile, as another strike would come only moments later. A particularly hard blow to his wrist caused his only weapon to fly from his grip, though he had little time to focus on retrieving it. In a desperate bid, he wrapped both of his arms around Hikarin's arm as it came down to strike him and locked his hands together; holding on with all of his strength, the Golden Warrior whipped his body around and slammed his opponent into the side of a building, stunning the White Warrior for a moment. "'All that matters is victory'? How can you honestly believe that garbage!?" Lee shouted as he slammed his fist into the side of Hikarin's helmet, further dazing him. "Don't innocent lives matter? Don't you care about how many people are left after everything's over, or how their lives are affected!?"

Hikarin's leg snaked out and wrapped behind Lee's, and with an ease born of experience the Legend Beast lashed out with his palm, knocking the young man to the ground. "Why should I care about your worthless kind? Why should the lives of a miserable species like yours matter to me!?" he screamed. Aiming his bow at Lee, he formed a bowstring and pulled back. "All I care about is getting rid of Mithras; if a few humans die in the process, so be it! War will always have casualties!" Launching a flurry of arrows at RaiLeon, Kirin smirked beneath his helmet as he saw them explode against the Warrior's body. Smoke rose off of the armor from where the projectiles had struck, the human inside not moving. _I honestly wished that things wouldn't come to this, but in the end this is far kinder than Mithras would have been to him._ Walking over to the still body, he knelt down and placed two fingers to the side of the boy's neck, jerking slightly as he felt a steady pulse beneath the armor. _Still alive? Well, aren't we the resilient one?_ _Still, this should be a good enough warning – there's no way he'd keep it up after this._ Feeling satisfied with his work, he began rising to his feet when he felt something wrap around his arm.

"Got you!"

With a mighty pull, RaiLeon launched himself upwards, fist already aiming for Hikarin's stomach. The blow hit home, doubling the Spirit of Light over. Without any hesitation he followed it up with a double-fisted hammer blow to Hikarin's back, knocking the Warrior to his knees. "You… You're no Guardian Beast," Lee stated simply, glaring down at Kirin hatefully. "I don't know why you're like this, or what caused you to be like this, but I'm not sure I care at this point. All I know is that I swore to keep the people of this city safe from those who would hurt them." Pulling his fist back, he added, "And that includes you!" He threw his fist forward, intent on going for a knock-out blow to the side of the head.

Instead, Hikarin caught it with inexplicable ease and let out a tired sigh. "You're like a fly: so annoying and so hard to kill." His eyepieces began glowing brightly as energy began to build up in his horns; still holding RaiLeon's fist, he rose and stared the young man in the eye, the energy in his antlers starting to crackle ominously. "But just like a fly, there's very little you can do to harm me, boy. Allow me to show you how far ahead of you I am." There was a blinding flash of light, nearly blinding Lee with its intensity, and as it died down, Hikarin wasn't in front of him.

He was all around him.

"H-how…?" Lee wondered aloud, looking around frantically. They completely surrounded him, cutting off any chance of escape; their glowing green eyes seemed to bore straight through him, mocking him and his surprise. "Why- How are there so many of you?"

One of the Hikarin's chuckled. "My specialty is the command of light, boy. And I assure you that I didn't earn my title as a Legend by not exploring my powers to their fullest." The Hikarin shot forward, at an astonishing speed, and cut RaiLeon across his chest. Lee grit his teeth together to keep from shouting out and watched as the Hikarin rejoined its companions in the circle around him. Before he could try striking back, sharp pain erupted along his back as two of the Hikarin clones raced up from behind him and struck. Stumbling forwards in pain, he was met by a trio of arrows that flung him back, high into the air. More and more arrows followed, until a veritable onslaught of projectiles struck and exploded, flinging RaiLeon higher into the air.

Striking the ground, RaiLeon's armor flashed brightly for a moment, then vanished. Lee and Leo lay next to each other on the ground, each half of the Golden Warrior sporting various wounds. "D-damn it…" Leo growled. "I-I don't understand any of this! Why is this happening!?" The glow in Hikarin's eyes began to vanish, and all of the copies merged back together as the White Warrior began stepping towards the fallen pair. "Kirin! Why are you doing this? Why have you turned your back on humanity!? On your duty-"

An arrow shot over Leo's head, cutting him off prematurely. Lowering his bow, Hikarin shook his head as he chuckled mockingly. "My 'duty?' As far as I am concerned, my only duty is to take down Mithras by any means necessary." With a small shrug, he added, "I don't exactly see how protecting a worthless species could be part of that duty, so I have no idea what you're complaining about. Not that it matters." Raising his bow and taking aim at the pair, he lowered his hand to the front of his belt.

"**Light Charge!"**

Drawing back the bowstring, light began to coalesce at the mouth of the bow. The energy began to spiral around itself, forming a conical arrowhead that was simply waiting to be released. "You'll soon be gone and I won't have to worry about you getting in my way any longer," Hikarin stated, preparing to let loose with his weapon. Before he could, however, someone ran up to stand in front of the fallen Lee and Leo, throwing her arms out wide to protect them. "Move, girl. This has nothing to do with you."

"They're both my friends! This has everything to do with me!" Aya countered. Her heart was pounding furiously and her mind was screaming at her to get out of the way, but there was no way she could do that – not if it would cost her friends their lives. When the Tapir Hell Beast had appeared, she'd ducked into cover to avoid being a distraction for Lee and Leo, but there was no way she could stand idly by now. Shaking her head, she pleaded with Hikarin: "Please, if you're anything like Leo, then stop this now! There's no need for this!"

With a heavy sigh, Hikarin began to draw back further on his bow. "I don't expect someone like you to know what's necessary. If you won't move, then I suppose you'll just wind up another casualty." Seeing her tense up and take a hesitant step backwards, he inwardly winced. _Why? Why get involved in something that doesn't concern you? Why can't you understand something so simple?_ With a small shake of his head, Hikarin narrowed his eyes as he prepared to let loose with his arrow. "Move or die: your choice!" he called out.

Aya stood firmly in place, eyes defiant and lips pressed tightly together in a firm line.

Leo and Lee both watched in horror as they tried, in vain, to get to their feet and move their friend out of the line of fire.

…_I'm sorry, but this is for the best,_ Hikarin thought as his fingers began to release the bowstring.

And then his world erupted in fire.

Screaming in shock and pain, Hikarin flailed helplessly as he was consumed by a pillar of scorching flame, accidentally shooting off the arrow straight into the air. It exploded in a dazzling flash of light, momentarily blinding the three who _weren't_ currently on fire. As their vision returned to them, they all gaped in awe at the swirling, fiery vortex that had suddenly appeared from literally nowhere. Seeing their chance for an escape, Aya quickly ran back to her two friends and helped them to their feet. "Come on, while we've got a chance!" Lee said nothing and instead grabbed her wrist, hastily retreating from the battlefield.

"Agreed. Let's not waste such a blessing," Leo said, though he took one last look at the flames that were slowly beginning to die down, a pained expression on his face. _Hikarin… what has become of you? And that fire… where did it come from? It seems so… __**familiar**__, but it couldn't be… could it?_ Shaking the thoughts from his head, he raced off to join his friends, never noticing the shining green eyes that watched him from within the shadows of a nearby building, nor their departure.

Grunting in frustration and pain, Hikarin fell to one knee as the burning cyclone finally dissipated. Panting heavily, he slammed a palm against the ground and let out an angry growl. "Who did that!?" he screamed as he snapped his head from side-to-side, scanning the streets and rooftops for any sign of a perpetrator. Seeing no one, he fell silent as he rested on the street; after a moment, he began to stand up, still somewhat shaken from the surprisingly strong sneak attack. "…It doesn't matter, I suppose," he groused as his transformation ended. Dusting off his suit, Kirin turned and began to walk in the opposite direction Lee and his friends had gone. _At the end of the day, I think I got my message across._

_This isn't your fight, boy. Don't try to make it yours unless you're ready to die._

* * *

"Clean burn, all the way through," Zabon muttered as he glanced through the hole in Tapir's chest, ignoring the uncomfortable and pained sounds coming from the Hell Beast. Glancing over to the side of the chamber, where Malrok was pouring through the pages of his tome, his eyes narrowed slightly. "So, how is it that this-" he stuck one of his fingers through the wound itself, causing the monster to let out a grunt of protest that was entirely ignored "-hasn't caused your Hell Beast to go up in flames?"

"Luck," was the sorcerer's simple and quick reply. Snapping his tome shut, he strode over to the stone table in the center of the room and motioned for both of them to do the same. Conjuring up a ball of dark magic into his hand, he dropped it onto the table itself; it spread across the surface and bubbled like a vile liquid. "I'm sure that you are familiar enough with our Imps, aren't you Zabon?" As he spoke, the dark liquid squirmed and shifted as a shape rose up, forming into a miniature version of an Imp.

"I know they aren't the sturdiest little things," the Draconian said, leaning forwards to get a better look at the small Imp in front of him. "Honestly, I never put much thought into it. They're good cannon fodder and good for simple tasks – that's all I really cared about." Glancing up at Malrok for a moment, he looked back to the specimen before him. "Though now that I think about it, I don't think I recall seeing or hearing about these things before I joined up with Lord Mithras."

"It's doubtful that you would have, in all honesty." Malrok snapped his fingers, and the Imp let out a small shriek before dissolving back into the dark liquid it was made of. "Imps are not living creatures; they are dark magic constructs. They were originally created as a means of easy labor: tireless, able to follow directions to the letter, and without any need for sustenance. As such, they possess no vital organs or structures within their bodies, and the only way to disperse one is to break the spell that holds its form together."

"And I'm guessing that would include cutting it in half, crushing it, smashing a hole through its head-"

"Yes, yes – if enough force is applied to the body itself, the spell will break down."

"Interesting," Zabon grunted. Folding his arms, he looked over towards Tapir and gave a slight tilt of his head. "Still doesn't explain how he's still standing."

"As I said, it's mostly luck." With another snap of his fingers, Malrok conjured another Imp onto the table. "At the most base level, an Imp simply cannot endure a great amount of damage before it is destroyed. However…" The Imp on the table began to writhe as its form shifted, and soon a small replica of Tapir stood on the table. "When a Hell Beast is created, the Imp not only gains the strength and powers of that Beast Core, but also a higher level of durability – hence why it takes RaiLeon far more effort to destroy one."

"Wait." Holding up a finger to silence the sorcerer, Zabon gave him a confused look. "Are you telling me that the Hell Beasts are nothing more than glorified Imps?" he asked, once again ignoring the noise of protest that Tapir let out.

"…You just figured that out?" Malrok asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I use the Imps as base templates for my Hell Beasts – of course they're essentially a stronger version of an Imp! Did you expect me to try and craft bodies for them from the ground up?"

The Draconian shrugged. "I just thought there was something more to them, or some such. Never really thought they were just Imps with a new look."

"Well, in simplest terms, they are just Imps, but if you look at the formulae needed to properly synchronize the Cores with the dark magic that makes up the form of an Imp, then – wait." Holding up a hand, the sorcerer shook his head. "I think we are getting off track. Put simply, yes: Hell Beasts are empowered Imps, but that's not what is important. The important matter at hand is the Beast Core that gives the Hell Beast its power. If it is removed from the body, then that's it. No more Hell Beast. So long as the Core is within the Hell Beast, it takes a lot to actually kill it."

"I've never seen RaiLeon just tear out one of those Cores though. Usually, they're just lying on the ground after he destroys them. How's that work?"

"My best guess is that the energy released from his attacks is able to disrupt the synchronization between the Core and the Imp, thereby removing much of its invulnerability and – blast it, stop getting me off track!" With an annoyed huff, Malrok put both of his hands on the table and stared at the small Tapir that was there. "The point of the matter is this: had that attack been slightly more powerful than it was, or if it had hit the Core itself and forcibly ejected if from the Hell Beast's body, then Tapir would be dealing with far more pressing issues than a hole in his chest!" Lifting one hand over the bubbling dark liquid, he muttered a few words under his breath; the liquid began to rise up and coalesced in his palm, forming a perfectly round orb that he then threw into Tapir's chest. Immediately the liquid began to harden and take shape, and within seconds the hole had been repaired. "There, you're all better. Get out."

The Hell Beast didn't need to be told twice, and he quickly ran from the room.

Both generals were silent, neither of them looking at the other. Finally, with a growl of frustration, Malrok slammed his hand down onto the stone table. Much to Zabon's surprise, the blow actually caused several cracks to form. "First RaiLeon, now this… _Legend Beast!_ Just how many of these fools plan to keep standing in Lord Mithras' way!? Better yet, why does our lord not just simply extinguish them here and now? You and I have both witnessed his power – it would be child's play for him!"

Zabon gave a helpless shrug and scratched at his chin. "I'm not entirely sure of that myself, though I've got a few ideas. If he's anything like some of the old Draconian warlords, then he won't just be satisfied with a victory. He's wanting complete and total domination, especially since that Guardian Beast of Lightning's running around." He thought for a moment. "It could be that he sees this as more of a game than anything. Like you said: he could take care of RaiLeon in a heartbeat, but maybe he finds it more entertaining to watch the whelp try and fight back." Looking down at the sorcerer, he shook his head. "I don't really think it matters at the end of the day. He's Lord Mithras. If things start heading south, he'll set it right."

Again silence reigned supreme in the room, before finally Malrok let out a small breath and his shoulders slumped. "You're right, for once." The Draconian made a small sound at the slight barb, but Malrok simply ignored it. "I suppose… I am simply frustrated by the appearance of these two Warriors. Our plans have nearly come to fruition; we are on the cusp of victory." Looking up at the ceiling, he continued, "The very idea that these two could stand in our way – it infuriates me." Glancing over his shoulder at the Draconian, he gestured for the door. "If you would, go and assist Tapir the next time he leaves for the human city. It would be best if you had a chance to evaluate the new enemy's capabilities firsthand. In the meantime-" he flicked his hand, causing his tome to open and the pages within to begin flipping "-I will be researching for a way to improve our chances against the enemy."

Chuckling, Zabon cracked his neck and walked from the room, his blood already beginning to boil at the thought of a battle. As the doors slammed shut behind him, Malrok looked down at his tome. "Now, what revelations shall we have today?" he wondered quietly. He began to pour over the tome in detail, the fury from before diminishing significantly.

Diminishing, but not disappearing.

* * *

"Make sure that the emergency shelters are fully stocked at all times: oxygen tanks, bandages, eye drops, and whatever else they may need. Until this smoke clears from the sky, people everywhere will be suffering from smoke inhalation. I want everyone who comes in to get a filtration mask – don't even bother asking about the costs, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket if I have to." Finally putting the phone in his hand down after what felt like hours, Masaya Saigo turned to look out at his home, and at the polluted sky that now hung over it. "Disgusting," he growled, curling his fingers into the palms of his hands.

"At least it's already starting to clear up," Junichi said. Reclining in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, he didn't even bother looking up from the manga that he was reading as he added, "And from what I've heard, we're due for some strong winds coming in from the ocean. It might just push it all elsewhere, but I'd say it's better than the city suffering." With a small shrug, he turned the page he had just finished.

"It would be far better had this accursed smoke not appeared at all," the CEO of Everlast countered, turning his head to look at his bodyguard. Seeing a flicker of motion from the corner of his eye, he turned it a bit more to see what the third occupant of the room was up to. "…Mitsuru, though I'm afraid to ask… what are you doing?"

"Juggling, of course!" Mitsuru replied. He was a young man, with very fine features – feminine, even. His black hair was cut short, with the bangs held out of his face with a red hairclip. Perched on his nose were a pair of yellow glasses with square lenses, and the brown eyes behind them sparkled with amusement. He wore a white lab coat that was decorated with various buttons and pins, with a nametag on the left lapel that, oddly, only stated his first name, with the title of 'Head of R&amp;D' above it. The coat was held closed by a single button at the waist, allowing the lime green shirt and tan pants he wore beneath to be seen. And, just as he had claimed, he was currently juggling, repeatedly throwing a trio of balls up into the air and catching them.

"…Sometimes I forget why we hired you," Junichi wondered, not bothering to hide his words from the others in the room.

"Oh, sometimes I forget myself," Mitsuru chuckled. Suddenly throwing all three balls into the air, he quickly spun around on one foot. "I wonder – was it my looks-" he held up his right hand, and a ball fell right into it "-my charming personality-" moving his left hand behind him, he managed to somehow catch the second ball "-or maybe-" he tilted his head up, catching the last ball on the tip of his nose "-my undeniable genius." With a shrug, he let all three balls fall to the ground and stuck his hands into his lab coat's pockets. "Ha, but what does it matter in the end? I'm here now, and that's all that matters, isn't it Jun-Jun?"

For a moment, Junichi looked up from the manga in his hands, just long enough to give Mitsuru a piercingly cold glare. "Only two people in this world are allowed to call me that, Professor Fukudome, and don't recall either of them being you."

Mitsuru frowned at that. "Aw, no need to be so rude, Jun-Jun! I was just trying to get you out of that prickly shell of yours." Kneeling down to pick up his balls, he looked up at Masaya, who was currently massaging one of his temples. "He's right, though. A nice, ocean breeze is supposed to be sweeping in sometime later, so it should clear that icky smoke right up." Closing his eyes in thought, he let out a small, wistful sight. "Ah, just thinking about the ocean is making me crave the beach right now. Hey, Boss, why not let me-"

"No."

"But I-"

"No."

"…Just for-"

"_No_."

Pouting, Mitsuru simply stared at his boss before finally grabbing the balls off of the floor and sticking them inside of his lab coat. "You might pay well, but you really can be a buzzkill sometimes." Looking out at the sky, he quirked an eyebrow. "Then again, I don't know how I'd feel about getting that smoky smell in my hair…"

"Perhaps we could just move on to more important matters, hmm? Such as the reason I called you both up here for?" Masaya offered as he took a seat in his chair. Pulling himself closer to the desk, he rested his arms on the flat surface as he looked between his two employees. The two of them quickly got the hint; Junichi stopped his reading and put away the book, while Mitsuru spun a chair around and sat in it. "Now then, let's get down to business. Junichi?"

"Not much to report, unfortunately," the man replied. Digging into his jacket pocket, he took out a small flash drive. "All the information we have on the recent monster attacks has been compiled here. News footage, videos and pictures people took using their phones – it's all here, and every second of it has been scoured for information." Shaking his head, he added, "As far as we can tell, conventional weaponry is useless against these monsters." He gave an annoyed grunt. "That RaiLeon guy probably is too, unfortunately."

"Now, now, Jun-Jun," Mitsuru chided. "There's no reason for us to be concerned with Goldie at the moment. I've seen the footage just as much as you have, and he hardly seems to be dangerous."

"All the more reason to suspect him." The bodyguard crossed his arms and leaned further into his chair. "Sure, he seems harmless right now. Sure, he's been helping protect the city from those monsters. But who's to say that he's doing all of these things out of the goodness of his heart, huh? How do we know that this guy isn't just eliminating the competition? For all we know, he could be the _leader_ of these monsters, or the one making them, and he's fighting them just so the city will let its guard down!"

"You certainly feel strongly about this."

Matching his boss's even look, Junichi just gave a small shrug. "What can I say? I don't like the idea of one man having all of that power. Though from recent reports, it looks like he isn't the only masked vigilante running around."

"From what I heard, Goldie wound up getting a pretty nasty beating from this newcomer," Mitsuru added. Taking out his phone, he pulled up a picture that had been posted online of said newcomer. "Rather interesting that they'd fight each other rather than the monsters, don't you think?"

"Could be some sort of power struggle."

"That idea only works if RaiLeon and this White Warrior _are_ truly up to no good, Junichi," Masaya said evenly. Slowly easing back against his chair, he cupped his chin with one hand. "We don't know why these monsters are attacking, or why RaiLeon fights against them; we don't know how RaiLeon is able to fight against them; and we don't know where either party comes from. We're missing too many crucial details to be able to make an accurate judgement regarding RaiLeon, but I believe it would be safest to consider him a secondary threat in comparison to the monsters he fights – though truthfully, I think this newcomer may be a greater threat than he is." Looking over to the Head of Research and Development, he nodded. "Now then, Mitsuru? How goes-"

Before he could say too much, the phone in the scientist's hand suddenly went off. Raising an eyebrow in interest, the man slowly stood up and spun his chair back around. "Well, this is worrisome. I'm getting an emergency call from one of my patients." Biting his lip, he looked towards his employer. "Boss – Mr. Saigo… is it okay if I, you know, go? To take care of this, I mean?" Getting a nod of approval, Mitsuru gave a large, exaggerated bow before hurrying from the room.

"I suppose we will simply have to finish this discussion later," Masaya noted as he watched the doors swings shut behind the scientist. Standing up, he arched his back and let out a deep breath. "Ah well. At least Mitsuru is dedicated enough to his patients, so I suppose this is a fine enough reason."

"Maybe," Junichi grunted as he pulled his book out again. "But I still have to wonder how _he_ managed to become a doctor."

* * *

_We should have died today._

Leo stared miserably up at the sky, lying on the grass in Aya's backyard. It surprised him somewhat that her home was as large as it was, especially when compared to the meager accommodations that Lee and his uncle had to live with, but he didn't think much of it. If her family was wealthy enough to own an estate of this size, that was their own business.

His business was understanding what had happened to day, and trying to determine a way to prevent it from happening again.

_Kirin – Hikarin – __**whatever**__ he has chosen to call himself, he nearly ended our lives today. And even if he hadn't been there, that sorcerer would surely have been a far greater threat than we are capable of dealing with._ He narrowed his eyes as he thought of that sorcerer: Malrok. Hadn't that been his name? _I wonder… could he be Mithras' personal student? A protégé, or maybe someone he has raised up as a potential successor should he somehow fall? Why else would he know that forbidden magic?_

A slight shiver fell down his spine as he contemplated that idea. _Another Mithras… No, I doubt that is the reason. Wait – it couldn't be. I never saw that mage on the battlefields, and he was never reported as a combatant. Mithras couldn't have been the one to teach him, but how else could he know that magic?_ He ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration. He was already starting to get a headache from how infuriating this line of thought was becoming.

Instead, he turned his thoughts towards his former ally… towards the one he had once respected more than any other Guardian Beast. _Kirin… What happened to you? You were once the shining example that all others strove to be like. You inspired so many of us to go further than we ever thought possible, yet now you've gone against the most sacred principle of our kind._ He felt small droplets begin to work their way down the sides of his face, but he ignored them.

A few minutes passed as he lay in the grass, still as a statue, until finally one of his fists rose up and slammed back down into the ground. _No time to be feeling this way. Not when Lee is injured and there's a Hell Beast on the loose. _Rising into a sitting position, he hastily scraped away at the moisture on his face. "I can try and figure out what happened to Kirin after we've taken care of the issue. Dwelling on it now won't bring about any good." Rising to his feet, he stretched his arms over his head and turned towards the house, his eyes slowly travelling across the tree line until they reached-

_What was that!?_

His head snapped back towards the nearby woods, where just a moment ago something had been standing there. He had only caught a glimpse – a white blur that disappeared all too quickly – but it was more than enough for him to know something had been watching him. _White…_ "Kirin!" he called out, remembering the suit the Legendary Beast had worn. "If you're there, come out and face me like a true Guardian Beast would! Hiding in the shadows – that's not what I'd expect someone such as yourself to do!"

His challenge rang out through the empty landscape, echoing through the still air. He stood there, eyes darting to-and-fro as he searched for a sign of Kirin's presence, until finally he allowed his shoulders to slump. "Probably just an animal," he sighed to himself. "Everything that has happened lately, and all of the stress it has brought with it… Perhaps I am simply too 'on edge', as they put it." With one last look at the forest, he gave a slow shake of his head and turned back towards Aya's residence, unaware of the sorrowful green eyes that followed him all the way back.

* * *

"Ah, that stings!" Lee hissed, pulling away from the cotton swab that was being applied to his face – which only served to make his arm flare up. He fell against the soft mattress of the bed he was in and groaned. "Ugh… For a doctor, you seem to be really good at _causing_ pain."

With a slight huff, the doctor in question sat back in his chair and folded his arms under his chest. "Well, maybe if some of us didn't get into fights with cars, we wouldn't need treatment like this," Mitsuru replied evenly. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to the sole other occupant of the room and added, "You know, while I'm fine with doctor-patient confidentiality and all that, I'm still really wondering how Lil' Lee over here got this banged up from a fight."

"It was a really big guy," Aya offered, looking away sheepishly. Mitsuru continued to look at her for a few moments, then sighed and turned back to the patient at hand. Helping Lee to a sitting position, he began to apply more antiseptic to the cuts on the young man's face.

"Fine, whatever, okay. I get it: you kids have your secrets, and you don't want to share them with us lame adults. I was a kid not too long ago myself; I know how it is." He shook his head, causing a few strands of hair to fall into his face. The three of them stayed silent after that, with only Lee's occasional sharp intakes of breath breaking the quiet. Even when Leo entered the room, he quickly walked over to sit in a chair and started waiting.

After around an hour of treatment, Mitsuru finally let out a sigh after winding the bandage around Lee's arm one last time. The young man looked a mess: his wrist and most of his right arm was bandaged up, with an ice-pack on his shoulder to help with the swelling; it had nearly been pulled out of socket. He had a few bandages around his chest as well, though the doctor had insisted that it was merely a precaution and that he didn't believe any of his ribs were damaged – he'd also said something about it 'completing the look' but he refused to elaborate on what he meant. The side of his neck was bruising rather badly and his left cheek had a large bandage on it.

Leaning back to examine his work, Mitsuru let out a small 'humph'. "Well, considering who I've had to patch up in the past, I suppose you aren't the in the _absolute_ worst shape. Still…" Turning his head to look at Aya, he frowned. "Aya, dearie. Listen, you're a joy of a patient, but my contract states that I'm supposed to be taking care of _you_ if you ever need me. Your parents aren't paying me the big bucks to patch up your boyfriend-"

Simultaneous cries of 'He's not-' and 'I'm not-' rang out before ending rather abruptly as Mitsuru doubled over laughing.

"Now I realize why my parents would do that to me! Those faces!" Quickly pulling himself together, he got to his feet and grabbed the bag of medical supplies that he'd brought with him. He walked over to Aya, who rose out of the chair she was in to meet him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a small smile. "But honestly, dearie, I'm afraid this will have to be a one-time thing. I was in the middle of something very important when I got your message, and I ran over here because I thought it was _you_. That _is _the reason you have my personal number, after all."

Aya nodded and lowered her head. "Sorry, Doctor Fuku-"

"Mitsuru."

"…Sorry, Mitsuru. I promise you that it won't happen again – I just panicked, and I needed someone who could help Lee." The hand on her shoulder found its way to her chin and lifted her head up so she was looking the eccentric doctor in the eyes.

"Aya… As always, you're far too quick to apologize. You were helping your friend, so don't be sorry about it; if anything, take pride in it! Come on now, cheer up!" he ordered, widening his own smile as he did so. "It's doctor's orders: I'm prescribing you 50mg of More Smiling effective immediately, and you _will_ be taking this medicine, understand?"

Aya closed her eyes and nodded, giving Mitsuru a grateful smile. "Yes sir."

With a quick nod, Mitsuru turned and regarded both Lee and Leo before heading to the door and leaving. Sucking in a deep breath, Aya slowly turned around and went back to her seat, sitting straight up with her hands in her lap. "Alright, go ahead. Ask away." The two males in the room exchanged confused looks with each other; sighing, Aya motioned at the room around them. "This. _All_ of this. You have to be wondering 'Huh, why didn't Aya tell us she lived in a mansion?'"

The mansion in question was just on the edge of the city limits, close to the base of the mountains nearby; it was a large, two-story, western-style house that had been built some time ago. Along with the mansion came a rather impressive estate that included part of a forest as well as a large pond – or a small lake, depending on how one wanted to look at it. The room the three were in was, according the dour-faced butler who had greeted Aya at the door, the main guest bedroom. Its walls were stark white, with pictures by what were probably famous artists here and there; one wall was missing entirely and had been replaced by a large pane of glass that gave a perfect view of the mountains. The furnishings were sparse but still rather extravagant: the chairs Aya and Leo were accompanied by a decently sized couch with a glass-topped table in the middle of them, and the bed Lee was on was a four-post canopy bed with soft white sheets that he guessed were probably silk.

In short: the entire place reeked of wealth.

Taking a small look around the room, Lee eventually settled his eyes back on Aya. "Well… I suppose it's pretty obvious that you come from a wealthy family." Aya simply nodded and continued to look at him expectantly. Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. "Um… that's great, right? You're doing well in life, and all…" Shaking his head, Lee groaned in exasperation. "Okay, I don't get it. What do you want?"

Aya blinked in surprise. "Wait – aren't you going to ask me why I didn't say anything about this?" Seeing him shake his head, she fell back in her chair slightly. "Oh… Huh. Okay, I won't lie: I wasn't expecting that. I really thought you'd have a few questions to ask about everything, but if you don't…"

"It's not really any of my business anyway," Lee said. "I mean, I am a _little_ curious about all of this, but I'm not going to make you tell me if you don't want to." Yawning loudly and unexpectedly, he quickly covered his mouth with his hand and added, "Plus, I'm a bit tired right now and I kind of just want to get some rest."

Aya gave him a small smile, then looked towards Leo. "You don't smell any Hell Beasts, do you?"

The Guardian Beast shook his head. "No… though I _did_ catch something off of that doctor that you brought it. He smelled a little like strawberries, for some reason…"

"I've smelled it too. Apparently it's got something to do with some of the stuff he works with; he sprays a little perfume on himself to keep the chemical smell off of himself." She gave a small shrug. "But we can talk about Mitsuru some other time. If there's no danger right now, I don't see why Lee hasn't earned a little rest, right?" Leo nodded, and the two of them rose up and went to the door. "Lee, if you need anything, just ask, alright?" Aya said as she opened the door.

"Alright," he mumbled in reply, already lying down with the sheets pulled over his head.

With a faint smile, Aya whispered, "Good night," and closed the door.

* * *

_Too bitter._

Kirin grimaced as he placed the cup of coffee back on the table in front of him and slid it away. _How do humans actually enjoy that garbage? Their sense of taste must have died out at some point, because there was nothing that bitter in my time,_ he reflected. Looking up at the sky, he realized that it was starting to get late in the day – not that it truthfully mattered to him. Where did he have to go? He'd found decent enough lodgings for himself upon entering the city and it was highly unlikely anyone would actually find his abode.

He shuddered as a slight chill ran through his body and he fought against the urge to reach for his chest. _It was so much easier restoring my energy when– back then._ Another chill struck him, this time a small groan escaping his lips as it did so. _I used up so much today… and for what? To scare off a child. How the once mighty have fallen,_ he thought bitterly. Looking down at the cup of coffee in front of him, he scowled before reaching out for it. Bringing it to his lips, he stopped when he heard someone behind him clear their throat.

"Sorry, but would you mind if I sat here?"

Craning his head back so that he could see who had spoken, he frowned slightly at the sight of the man, but nodded all the same. Quietly thanking him, the man took the seat across from him as Kirin began to scan the other tables of the outdoor café he'd come to; he had to bite back a curse when he realized all of the other tables were full. "Again, sorry to interrupt you, but there's nowhere else to sit and I forgot my thermos back at the office, so I couldn't grab some and take it with me."

Kirin shrugged and sipped at his own drink. "No need to apologize. You were hardly interrupting anything." His face scrunched up once again at the bitter taste of the coffee and he fought the urge to spit it out.

"Ugh, taking it black? Guess you had a rough day too." Reaching for a container at the center of the table, he poured a bit of creamer into his cup before swirling it around. The two of them sat in silence for a while, simply drinking their coffee. "So… I haven't seen you here before."

"Oh?" Kirin replied tiredly.

"Well, I'm something of a regular here, so I know most of the people who stop in at this time. You're a new face."

"I'm new to the city. I arrived only a week or so ago."

The man inhaled sharply through his teeth. "Bad time to show up, huh? This is a nice city, but with all the monster attacks lately, it's been crazy. Hell, I never thought I'd see an actual monster attack; feels like something out of a kids show, to be honest." Looking up at the still smoke-filled sky, he grimaced. "Definitely real, though. Wish my nephew wasn't caught up in all of this. He came from America to visit, but I'm starting to wonder if…"

Kirin blinked slowly at the man as he went on, the temptation to leave building. What should he care about this man's problems? Why did this man _think_ that he cared in the first place? _Humans were never this annoying in the past. Did their stupidity evolve throughout the ages?_ Quickly downing the last few dregs of coffee, he placed the cup on the table and stood.

"…and it's a pain, because I want to- Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to chase you off," the man apologized. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out a few yen. "Here, I'll pay for your drink – my treat for rambling like that."

Kirin was about to object, when he caught a whiff of something on the air. His eyes narrowed and he turned towards the park's entrance. "Keep your money. You need it more than I," he said before walking off. He did not pay any attention the man's attempts at calling for him to come back but instead continued on.

It did not take long for his ears to pick up the sounds of screams and the screeches of Imps. As he stepped out onto the street, he stared at the scene before him. The Tapir Hell Beast, fully healed from its last fight, was firing blasts of smoke from its trunk at cars, trees, buildings – whatever it saw, it attacked, and the smoke blasts had enough force to crush the frame of a truck. Imps tore people from their cars and attacked them, or chased them through the street while brandishing their swords.

Kirin watched as a man was brought to the ground by a pair of Imps, who then proceeded to savagely cut at him with their blades. Turning his head, he saw woman get thrown through a window by a stray smoke blast from Tapir. He heard a loud scream of pure fear rise up from somewhere amidst the chaos, then suddenly cut short.

Kirin took all of this in, and frowned. He expected nothing less from humanity. They had always been a weak and cowardly species, the first to run from that which terrified them. Yet they had the gall to claim themselves the dominant species? What a joke that was. They had no idea what the real reason for their survival was.

_Perhaps it would have been for the better had we not protected them. Then a race more worthy may have ruled this world._ Shaking his head, he turned to walk off when he saw an Imp leap onto a car and begin striking at its windows. At first, he saw no reason for its behavior, until the screams started to reach his ears. He knew them well, as he had heard them all-to-often when he fought: the screams of children, panicked and crying for their parents, for the police, for anyone to come and save them.

He hesitated, for a brief moment feeling the desire to act, but he quickly extinguished it. "I don't have the strength to defeat them all. Not that it matters if a few humans happen to die – let the boy play the hero if he wants." Again he started to walk away, forcing himself to ignore the cries for help that resounded through his ears. _I have no reason to care about these-_

"_Will you protect them?"_

The memory came into his mind without warning. For a moment, he saw a frightened yet determined young maiden kneeling before him, a bow strapped across her back. Long strands of black hair swayed in the wind alongside her white dress. She stared into his face with deep brown eyes, searching for something. He felt his breathing quicken as she reached out to him, palm tilted upwards as if she were asking for something. Her lips moved without sound.

"_Will you protect them?"_

Kirin shouted and struck at the hallucination, shattering it to pieces. He staggered backwards, hand clutching his chest as a flood of emotions raged inside his mind. _No, no! I am not – I refuse to be swayed! Humanity had its chance, and now it's time has come! _A louder scream came from the child, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"_Will you protect them?"_

The Imp had no time to react as Kirin's foot crashed into its body, throwing it away from the car. Reaching through the broken window, he unlocked the door and threw it open. "Leave!" he barked. The two children who had been in the back seat scrambled out of the car and ran for safety. Kirin watched them go until he felt something grab the lapels of his jacket; his head snapped forward and he glared at the Imps that were holding him. "…one last time," he muttered, striking both of his assailants in the chest. As they released him, he stepped forward and kicked twice, striking them hard in the stomach and forcing them further back. "One last time, I will protect them!" he declared.

The memory of a smiling woman filled his mind for a moment.

He forced it away as his belt formed around his waist.

"Henshin."

Quickly performing his stance, he donned the armor of Hikarin. He quickly pulled back on his bow and loosed an arrow at each of the Imps before him. They hit the ground in a puff of black smoke. Slowly he began to march into the madness, firing at any enemy he saw. Screeches rang out around him as the monsters finally acknowledged his presence; as one, they ran towards him, blades ready to chop him to pieces. Calmly, he lowered his bow until the mouths of it and his belt were next to each other.

A light flared from within his belt. His bow began to shine along with it, the light growing brightest along the tips of its antlers. Again he summoned the bowstring and pulled back on it, this time summoning a multitude of arrows – one from every end of the antlers. "I have no time for you!" Releasing the string, dozens of arrows launched into the air before coming down upon the approaching group of Imps. Each one they struck disappeared in a flash of light. Hikarin watched as their numbers thinned significantly, then winced as he felt the strain of that technique.

_I cannot keep this up for long. I have to be quick about it!_

Stringing another arrow, he took careful aim at his target. The Tapir Hell Beast had yet to see him, instead focusing on causing as much destruction as possible. His back was turned – a perfect target for Hikarin's arrow. Hikarin fired, then charged forward himself. The arrow struck true, and the Hell Beast roared in pain and surprise; turning around, it was met by the bladed ends of Hikarin's bow cutting at its face.

It caught the weapon with a hand and looked to its attacker. "What!? You… You're the one Lord Malrok warned me about!"

"Good." Twisting the bow so that it was facing his foe's body, he summoned another arrow. "Then you already know that you're outclassed." From point-blank he fired. The arrow pierced through the monster's armor and dug into its flesh. It let out a strangled gasp and released its grip, allowing Hikarin to bring his weapon down on its head.

It shouted in anger and unleashed a torrent of thick smoke from its trunk, catching Hikarin in the chest and forcing him backwards. More and more smoke poured from its trunk, until the street was entirely obscured. Satisfied, it lowered its trunk and carefully began to walk through the haze. Its eyes strained as they sought the White Warrior, yet there was no sign of him anywhere.

"**Light Charge!"**

An incredible light managed to pierce through the thick smoke. Its intensity was so great that Tapir was blinded, and it fell to the ground cursing in panic and fury. Standing some distance away from the monster, Hikarin balled one of his hands into a tight fist. It began to glow with a white radiance and energy began to flow around it. "For what you were… for what you meant to me!" His head turned sharply to the side, where he saw the ghostly image of the woman standing. "For one last time, I shall protect them!"

He pulled his fist back as far as he could.

"Now… be gone!"

His fist shot forward and a stream of white energy flew towards the target. It took on the shape of his true form, horns lowered as it charged towards the fallen Hell Beast, and let out a great bellow as it slammed into the monster. The energy raced down the emptied streets, carrying the monster in its horns, before finally exploding in a dazzling burst of light. From the epicenter, Tapir's Core shot out and flew into Hikarin's outstretched hand, yet it was not his current focus. His eyes were on the spot the woman had been standing in only moments ago.

She had vanished.

He stood there for several moments, fixated on that one spot. Even as the smoke began to disperse in earnest and the sun's rays began to touch down upon the city once again, he did not stop. His transformation canceled itself and he finally moved, stowing away the Core into a pocket. "That was the last time I help humanity," he muttered. "Never again." Quietly, solemnly, he lowered his head and walked down the road, ignoring the wet sensation on his cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

RaiLeon grunted as another of Zabon's fire blasts struck his sword. Not for the first time he was glad his armor and weapon did not seem to be made out of any normal metal, as the sheer heat from the Draconian's fire was enough to warp the frames of the cars next to him. Despite being in the middle of a fight, he had to wonder: what on Earth was Zabon doing in a parking garage in the first place? And where was the Hell Beast Leo had caught scent of?

"What's wrong, RaiLeon? Can't take the heat?" Zabon taunted before breathing out another gout of fire. It was much bigger than the previous blasts and washed over RaiLeon entirely before hitting the back wall. As he finally let the stream die out, he lifted his club and prepared to strike; he had little doubt his attack had managed to actually kill the brat. There was no possible way he could be that lucky.

**"Tortoise! Spirit of Shields!"**

And sure enough, as the fire dissipated and died out, RaiLeon stood firm with his sword held in front of him. Coming from the lion-shaped guard's mouth was a shield of green energy that flickered briefly before vanishing. Reaching to the guard, he removed the Turtle Core and nodded at it approvingly. "Thanks for the idea, Leo. I really don't want to think about what would've happened if that hit." He shuddered at the thought of his armor disappearing and leaving an extra-crispy version of himself on the ground.

"_Think nothing of it,"_ came the Guardian Beast's nonchalant reply. _"Now, let us finish this; I did not appreciate having to leave before desert."_

"You and your sweet tooth." Shaking his head, Lee still found himself agreeing. Aya had decided to treat the two of them to lunch at a small restaurant she knew, and had managed to hook Leo into going with the promise of the best sweets in the entire city. Of course, Leo had caught wind of a Hell Beast in the city, and here they were. "Yeah, we should probably get back as soon as possible. I doubt Aya was happy that we ditched her like that." Stowing the Turtle Core into the compartment on his belt, he then grabbed the Panther Core and slotted it into his belt.

"**Panther! Spirit of Blades!"**

The claws on his left arm began to glow with a silver light as they grew longer and sharper. Holding his lengthened claws in front of him and his sword behind his head, he crouched low to the ground before pouncing forwards. He struck first with his claws and grunted as they made contact with Zabon's club. They bit into the metal only slightly before stopping, making him do a quick double-take in shock.

"Don't think you'll be able to break my weapon! It's forged from the hardest metals known by Draconian kind!" Pressing down on his club with his free hand, Zabon smiled as he saw RaiLeon's legs tremble from the pressure. "I don't care what kind of power those Cores have, my craftsmanship is impeccable! Nothing can destroy my art!"

"Which is why I've already broken your armor twice now?"

"You!" With an inarticulate growl of rage, Zabon opened his mouth to incinerate his foe when a sharp pain erupted along his side. Glancing down, he saw that RaiLeon's sword had slipped between a gap in his armor and was currently burying its way into his flesh. Hissing in pain, he quickly punched the Golden Warrior in the head. Swinging his club in a wide arc, he growled as RaiLeon ducked it, then smiled as his armor-tipped tail caught his foe in the side, throwing him across the concrete floor. He leapt into the air, weapon held high over his head, and brought it crashing down onto the ground. Cracks erupted from the impact site, quickly spider-webbing out towards RaiLeon. A toothy smile spread over his face as he raised a fist over his head and slammed it onto the fractured concrete.

The floor gave way with a tremendous crash, sending RaiLeon down to the floor below. He landed back-first on a small car that had the misfortune to be parked there, and rubble rained down from above him. "Well that hurt," he groaned as he rose to a sitting position. Looking up, his eyes widened beneath his helmet as he saw another car slowly edging its way to the edge of the hole. "Oh, you have to be joking!"

"Enjoy your gift, RaiLeon!" Zabon cackled as he kicked the car into the hole. It landed with the sound of breaking glass and twisting metal. Turning to walk away, the Draconian stopped when he smelled a sharp, pungent odor. His smile widened further. "Ooh. This should be fun." He spun around, mouth already filled with fire, and roared as he shot a wave of fire into the hole. The gas leaking from the car's punctured tank caught fire, quickly racing into the fuel tank itself.

Zabon summoned his escape portal and entered it just as a massive explosion rocked the parking garage, shaking the very foundation of the building. Leaping from the third floor to the street below was RaiLeon; the Golden Warrior landed feet-first, wincing at the pain, just as another explosion went off behind him. Slowly turning around, he rubbed the side of his head in embarrassment. "So, uh… Leo, you have any idea what we should do about this?"

"_No… but if I may make a suggestion? We should run. Quickly."_

RaiLeon nodded in agreement and started looking for the best escape, when he saw a figure standing nearby. He froze when he realized who it was.

"What… the hell… did you _do!?_" Eiji shouted, pointing at the still-burning parking garage. He crossed the distance between himself and RaiLeon quickly, a furious look on his face.

"W-wait, it's not what you think-" A haymaker quickly shut the Warrior up as his head snapped to the side. His eyes were wide with shock beneath the helmet. Very slowly, he turned to look at the young man again, who did not seem bothered in the slightest by his bleeding knuckles. "Nice punch. I actually felt that through the hel-" Eiji's knee planting itself in his stomach cut him off again and he hit the ground, gasping for air.

"You know, I'm really not surprised. Some guy running around in a fancy suit of armor with a bunch of power? You realize how much damage your fights have caused in this city?" Grabbing the fallen Warrior by the helmet, he dragged him up so they were looking each other in the eye. "You're no better than anyone else, got it? Just 'cause you got those powers _doesn't _mean you can do whatever you want – like blowing up a damn building!"

"That wasn't me!" RaiLeon protested, shoving Eiji back. "It was an accident, alright? I was fighting a monster and he tried to blow me up with a car!"

"And that makes it alright?" Eiji spat on the ground and crossed his arms. "Didn't you say you'd be the hero of this city or some crap like that? You can't even handle one monster without wrecking the place!" The faint cry of sirens rang out from a distance. "Huh. Guess those idiots are gonna be good for _something_ at least. You might as well ditch the armor; no way the cops are gonna let you keep it behind bars."

Frowning, RaiLeon looked over to the burning garage. That was certainly something anyone would get in trouble for, even the supposed hero of the city. Maybe they would lessen his punishment since he _had_ been trying to stop a threat? Still, there was the issue of them possibly making him reveal his identity. Definitely not something he wanted.

"Sorry but that's not happening," he told Eiji before walking off. He did not get very far before a pair of strong arms reached under his shoulders and put him into a headlock. "Hey!" He struggled to break free without hurting him, but that was easier said than done. Eiji was definitely stronger than he looked, and he already looked tough to begin with.

"You aren't gonna get away! Let me tell you something, RaiLeon: you aren't above the law! You mess up? You pay the price!" The two of them continued to struggle with one another before RaiLeon finally gave up and threw his head back. Eiji yelped in pain and let go. His hands flew to his nose and he covered it with them both. Blood trickled through his fingers as he gave a hateful glare in RaiLeon's direction. "Bastard!" he growled. He stepped forward, ready to attack again, when RaiLeon raised his hands defensively.

"Calm down already! Please, before you do something we'll both regret." He quickly started to think of the best way to get out of this situation, and after a while he came up with an idea. He did not like it, but it was the best plan available. "You realize you should probably be getting out of here, right? After all, the police will probably blame you for this."

Eiji's eyebrows knitted together in anger but he did not move another step. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"They know who I am. They look at me as this city's hero. You, though? No offense, but you look like someone who causes trouble. A lot. When they get here and see the two of us, who will they think caused that fire?" He bit his lip as he watched Eiji slowly come to the same conclusion he had.

"…Dammit!" Eiji swore. He took a few hasty steps backwards, still keeping his eyes on RaiLeon. "Fine. Fine! Go ahead and run. You'll get what's coming to you someday." He backed away further before turning around and breaking into a full sprint down the street. As he turned the corner, RaiLeon finally let out the breath he had not realized he was holding in.

"Well that sucked," he grumbled. Reaching to his belt, he closed the belt and undid the transformation. Lee groaned and clutched at his stomach, still in pain from the hard blow he'd received. "Man, Eiji can really hit hard. Wasn't that armor supposed to protect me from stuff like that?" he asked Leo, who was standing a few feet away and staring at the burning building.

The Guardian Beast shrugged in reply. "You would be surprised at what you can feel despite being fully armored. If I recall correctly, my previous host had an unfortunate experience involving a drunkard and their lady of the night." He grimaced and touched the back of his head. "Even I felt that one. Truly that woman had incredible strength for someone of her profession."

Lee quickly decided he did not want to know more, and was thankful when his phone went off. Pulling his phone from his jacket, he was suddenly stricken with a panic so fierce that he thought fighting Zabon naked would be preferable.

Thirty-one missed texts. All from Aya.

None of them were happy.

* * *

His smile was still stuck to his face as he reemerged in the main hall of Mithras' fortress. "Ah, I wish I could've seen the look on that brat's face! He must have nearly wet himself when he saw that car falling towards him!" Laughing boisterously, Zabon marched down towards Malrok's quarters, untying a small pouch from his waist and idly tossing it up-and-down as he walked. Reaching the doors to the sorcerer's lab, he tapped the end of his club against them twice, calling, "I'm back with your groceries! Open up before I ground 'em to powder!"

The doors flung open and Malrok stepped out, deftly snatching the pouch from Zabon's hands before returning inside. "You'd hardly be causing harm if you did so. If anything, it may help." He motioned for the Draconian to follow him into his main laboratory. "I trust you ran into RaiLeon, as we expected?"

Still smiling, Zabon pulled another pouch from his belt. "Worked like a charm, just like you said it would. Took him a while, but the Guardian Beast and his Host finally showed up just as I was finishing up."

"Excellent. It seems I was correct in assuming the Guardian Beast has been tracking our movements by its sense of smell. There was no way it could have possibly detected us otherwise." Reaching over to a small table that was covered in similar pouches, he handed it over to Zabon. "Here, you'll need this the next time you go out. The magic contained within the previous bag will have expired. The scent of dark magic must be strong if the Beast is to pick it up."

The Draconian eyed the pouch with disdain before attaching it to his belt again. "No kidding…" He shook his head. "I don't think I've ever smelled something that foul before. I can't believe humans can't – their sense of smell must be terrible if they can't even catch a whiff of this stuff. Lucky apes…" Zabon sighed as the two of them passed through an opening into another, smaller chamber. A section of it was closed off by a curtain, and unlike the previous chamber there were none of the usual accoutrements that marked the sorcerer's workplace. "So, mind telling me why you had me go and collect glass of all things?"

Wordlessly, Malrok strode over to the curtain and pulled it back. Zabon's eyes widened at what he saw sitting on the floor. It was an Imp, but its appearance was unlike any Imp he had previously seen. Its skin was a light blue rather than the usual black, and held a vibrant sheen. The usual red lines that ran across its body were gone, leaving a smooth crystalline surface. As it looked up at the two, he was shocked to see that instead of one eye splitting the center of its face, it had two small, glowing yellow eyes.

Glancing over to the sorcerer, he tilted his head. "You made a new kind of Imp?" he asked. "Seems like a bit of a waste of time to me. It doesn't look like it'll hold up against RaiLeon any better than the others."

"Oh, that's hardly this fellow's purpose," Malrok said in a proud tone. He held the bag out towards the strange Imp, laughing as it started to reach for it and its contents. "It appears that I was correct; the Core inside of it is reacting." Without further delay, he threw the bag to the Imp. The creature let out a happy squeal before tearing through the material, letting a torrent of broken glass fall to the ground before it. Grabbing a handful of glass shards, it brought them to its face. The skin below its eyes split open, revealing a mouth filled with blocky teeth. It stuffed the glass into its mouth and brought its teeth down on them with a loud crunch. As it swallowed, its body seemed to shimmer slightly.

Zabon's head shifted between the strange Imp and the one who had undoubtedly created it. Finally he looked to Malrok. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? Since when did our Imps have mouths? And why is this one blue? Or eating glass, for that matter?" Gesturing wildly with his arms, he let out an exasperated growl. "Seriously, you sent me out to the human city to steal _glass_ and bait RaiLeon into fighting me, but you still haven't told me why! I want some answers, now."

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Malrok shut the curtain over the Imp and motioned for Zabon to follow him back into the main room. "It would be best we not disturb him at the moment. Poor creature seems to be shy around strangers, and I doubt one could be stranger than you." He ignored the agitated grunt and instead walked around to one of the tables in his laboratory, grabbing his tome and opening it to a certain page. "I assume you recall what I told you about Imps previously, no? How they are simple constructs of dark magic?"

"It was only a week ago, you know. Just because I'm a reptile doesn't mean I have a tiny brain."

"If you say so, but that's beside the point." Snapping his fingers, a set of runes rose out from the pages of his tome, hovering before him and glowing with a dull purple light. "This is the basic formula used for an Imp." With a flick of his hand, he threw a small blob of black liquid onto the table; it quickly arranged itself into a small Imp. "Very simple and easy to create. As for my Hell Beasts…" The runes in front of him began to change and rearrange themselves, and more began to appear from thin air until the sorcerer was surrounded by a ring of glowing runes. "They require a more complex formula in addition to the Core of a Guardian Beast. Of course, their power output is far superior to an Imp's, so it is well worth the extra effort."

"Can we skip the lecture and get on to why I had to steal glass already?"

"Such impatience, but very well." Again the runes shifted, but this time there were only a few slight changes to the overall formula. "After Tapir was slain so easily by that blasted Kirin, I realized that simply creating a Hell Beast from scratch would not do. They can trouble RaiLeon, but against an experience warrior they would fare poorly. So, I thought to myself: what if instead of making a Hell Beast so quickly, I allowed one to grow?

"That Imp is the result of my query. I altered the spell used to create a Hell Beast, so that rather than instantly changing, the Core instead lies dormant inside of the Imp. Its power will bleed out slowly throughout the Imp's essence, slowly changing it into a Hell Beast that, if I am correct, will be stronger than those previous!" The sorcerer cackled and swept his arm through the runes, dispelling them. "Then I had another stroke of genius! What if, during the incubation process, I fed the Imp with the item or essence that corresponds to the Core currently inhabiting it? Surely it should grow even stronger through such a process!"

"So that Imp's basically a baby Hell Beast," Zabon summarized, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting… Yeah, that does make a bit of sense when you think about it. But what about these pouches of dark magic? What do they have to do with anything?"

"Well, in addition to my work on improving my Hell Beasts, I began to devise a strategy to deal with the Legend Beast Kirin, and those will serve as the bait for my trap." Scooping his book off the table, he snapped it shut and placed it in the crook of his arm. "You see, despite his incredible power and strength, I have learned something about the Beast of Light – his Achilles Heel, so to speak." Holding up one hand, he encased it in a swirling mass of darkness before crushing it in his palm. "And I plan on exploiting it and crushing him. Personally."

Zabon smiled broadly at the determination in the spellcaster's voice, his tail flicking excitedly as he tightened his grip on his club. "Heh. 'bout time you started getting fired up. I was thinking you'd never actually get your hands dirty."

"Oh, believe me," Malrok chuckled wickedly, "I'll enjoy every moment of what's to come!"

* * *

Exiting the elevator of his apartment building, Lee let out a small groan. It was a few hours after he and Leo had fought with Zabon, after which they had returned to the café to find a rather miffed Aya waiting for them.

"You couldn't have waited until I got back from the restroom? Maybe shoot me a text while you're leaving?" she had asked. While Leo had the excuse of not having any form of modern technology, it had not taken Lee long to realize he was less fortunate. In hindsight he realized that it would have been rather easy to just leave her a message. Thankfully, despite all appearances to the contrary, she had been rather accepting of the situation once he explained they had just been caught up in the moment.

Then the two of them realized there were three plates stacked in front of her.

"Well I had to do something while you two were being heroes," had been her defense.

_I still can't believe she ate it all. Leo may not have had much left, but I still had half a plate of food to go and her plate was pretty big by itself!_ Shaking his head, he paused in front of his door as he dug out his house key. _I guess it was her food since she paid for it, but still. Ah well, at least that was the worst thing to happen today. Aside from Zabon doing whatever he was doing and that thing with Eiji, today was pretty tame considering the norm._ Finally grabbing hold of his key, he went to insert it when he realized something.

_Huh. This… really is the norm for me now, isn't it? Fighting monsters, trying to save the world from evil conquerors – I still can hardly believe any of this is happening._ Biting the inside of his lip and furrowing his brow, he wondered what he would be doing had none of this ever happened. Aside from the obvious answers, what in his life would be different had he never become RaiLeon? That train of thought led him to a couple of different answers.

For one, he and Aya would have more time to hang out and be friends. She had, admittedly, been one of the reasons he wanted to come to Japan, aside from being able to visit his uncle and experience his mother's homeland, of course. But with the way things currently were – between the training Leo had him do to hone his skill, the various attacks by Mithras' forces, and the subsequent recovery period – the two of them never really had much time to act like friends and just have fun. Today's events were a prime example of this fact.

Something else he realized was that being RaiLeon was extremely taxing on his health. Every fight he was in took a toll on his body, even the brief skirmish he had with Zabon today. His chest still stung in the places where he had not been fast enough to evade the lizard-man's club and his shoulder had suffered a few light burns from a fireball that had clipped him in the beginning of the fight. Even the training he underwent had caused more than its fair share of injuries; he was still glad Uncle Daisuke did not have a reason to check his back, lest he find the nasty bruise that was just now starting to fade. He received that after Leo had put too much power into a throw and slammed him into the wooden floor instead of the practice mat.

Lowering the key from the door, Lee looked up at the ceiling and frowned. _Now that I really think about it, there's a lot of big negatives to being RaiLeon. Like the fact that all of this really could kill me if something terrible happens – or worse, it could get someone close to me…_ He quickly tried to steer his mind away from that thought, but only succeeded in bringing up an old memory. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the rain on his skin again and the wind tearing at his clothes, heard the crackle of thunder that followed the blinding flashes of lightning. In the middle of a big, empty lot, all alone save for the two-

"Lee? What are you standing out here for?" Lee jolted in surprise and quickly spun around, feeling some of his tension flow out of his body when he saw it was his uncle who had spoken. The man looked a little haggard, likely from his job if the few stories he had told Lee were true, but looked more upset than exhausted. From his hand dangled a large plastic bag and his lab coat had been tossed over his shoulder. Looking between his nephew and the door, he finally asked, "Did you lock yourself out or something? You could've just called the super for help."

"No, no. I've got my key right here," Lee said quickly, presenting the key itself. "I was just thinking and I guess I forgot where I was…" Laughing nervously, he suddenly felt rather self-conscious; it did not take a genius to realize that someone standing in the middle of the hall would be a rather strange sight to all who saw it. _Please don't tell me I've been out here for long…_

Daisuke nodded slowly. "Thinking, huh? I wouldn't do too much of that if I were you; I hear it can drive you crazy." Smiling at his own joke, he pushed past Lee and opened the door with his own key. "Glad you were standing out here, though," he said as he walked inside. "I got some takeout from a place downtown and thought we could have dinner together. You don't mind Korean, right?"

"Yeah. Sounds good," Lee said as he followed. He would focus on those things later. Right now, he was going to enjoy time with his uncle.

* * *

Blow after blow landed against the punching bag, the heavy thud of each strike echoing off the walls of the bedroom. A solid roundhouse kick sent it swinging back, and as it swung forward it was stopped by an anger-fueled right hook. The room descended into silence, save for the labored breathing of its sole occupant. Then, with the tiny clink of a chain snapping, the weathered and beaten bag finally fell to the ground, much to the annoyance of the one using it.

"Dammit!" Eiji cursed, kicking the bag over in frustration. "Now I gotta fix that too!" Growling, he gave the bag one last stomp-kick before his own exhaustion finally caught up to him and he collapsed onto his back. He lay there on the cool wooden floor, eyes closed as he panted heavily, with a forearm resting on his brow. How long had he been going at it this time? A quick glance to the window showed that the sun nearly beneath the horizon. Three hours, then. "Guess that's a new record," he laughed breathlessly.

As he rested and waited for his energy to return, Eiji's mind drifted. It wandered back to early today, when he had encountered that damned wanna-be hero. RaiLeon. Just thinking about that gold-plated coward was enough to get Eiji fired up again, but his body would not allow it. Instead, he simply replayed the events that occurred: his stumbling across the crime scene; RaiLeon trying to run off; him trying to stop RaiLeon; and finally, the coward's plan to shove the blame for wrecking an entire building on Eiji.

What did people see in that guy? What was it that made him a hero in everyone's eyes? He hid behind a mask, for crying out loud! If he was so strong, if he was really wanting to protect the city, and if he was really a good guy, then he had no reason to hide anything. Not in Eiji's mind, at least. Then there was the fact that wherever he showed up, there was always people getting hurt and property being destroyed. A real hero should be able to keep things like that from happening, should they not?

But no. RaiLeon only cared about himself, it seemed. Instead of protecting the city, he let it get destroyed while watching his own back. Instead of keeping the people safe, he showed up just as things were getting bad, just to make himself look better. Instead of owning up to the mistakes he made, he ran and hid behind his mask like the damn coward he was.

Eiji snarled and sat up. He wiped the sweat from his face using his shirt, then felt around for something nearby. His hands finally closed around the cold plastic of his phone, and he quickly flicked it open. Immediately he hit the internet and went to one of the few chatrooms he knew about. Something about conspiracy theories and whatnot. Normally, not something he was interested in.

RaiLeon changed that. He knew that there had to be something more to RaiLeon and the monsters that had started to appear, he just knew it. After all, their appearances were perfectly timed, one right after the other, and now there were people saying some guy in white armor was running around, another RaiLeon or someone like him. At the moment, however, he could care less about this newcomer; Eiji's focus was on exposing RaiLeon for who he was.

He was far from the only person to think RaiLeon was a menace. Entering one of the chatrooms, he saw hundreds of posts regarding the masked man. Some were theories regarding who he was or where he came from – that he was an alien, or a demon, or some warrior from centuries ago – while some debated on where his powers came from. One of the more ridiculous to come from that bunch was something about magic eyes, or some nonsense like that.

Eiji ignored those, and instead found the thread he had frequented most often since RaiLeon had started to appear. Its topic was 'Friend or Foe?' and there he found dozens of individuals competing in an online shouting match about whether RaiLeon was the hero he claimed to be, or just another threat. He was firmly on the side of the latter. He typed up a quick spiel about what he had seen earlier and added it to the growing list of grievances; from what he could see, there were others who had been blaming the incident on RaiLeon already.

Good. The more people who saw him for what he was, the sooner they could do something about him.

Shutting his phone and throwing it to the side, Eiji let out a tired sigh as he got back to his feet. "Guess I should clean up," he muttered. He reached for the fallen punching bag, only to pause when he felt a warmth start to build up on his chest. His eyes turned downwards and he jumped back when he saw a soft orange glow from beneath his shirt. "The hell!?" Quickly tearing off his shirt, Eiji froze when he saw the source of the light and warmth.

Not many people knew this, but Eiji had always worn a small pendant around his neck. It was an heirloom in his family, something that a father would always pass down to their firstborn son. It was silver ram's head that was no bigger than the palm of his head, with a cord strung through the animal's mouth. Stuck between its horns was a light orange jewel, perfectly round, that was currently acting as the cause behind the strange occurrence. Slowly Eiji began to reach for it.

Just when his fingers grazed the surface, he froze. Something about the air in the room was strange. It was like there were vibrations running through it and he could feel every single one of them. A loud crackling sound startled him and made him look around; he could have sworn it sounded like thunder. Not wasting another second, Eiji removed the pendant from around his neck and held it at arm's length. Part of him was very tempted to throw it away and be done with it – heirloom or not, he did not want to deal with this sort of craziness.

And suddenly, everything – the light, the warmth, the vibrations in the air, and the distant rumbling sound – all stopped. Eiji took a moment to let that fact sink in before his legs gave way and he passed out.

* * *

_**Long wait, short chapter; I know, it really is not that fair. But, I need to set things up and adding anything else would have felt forced. Besides, a breather from longer chapters is always welcome, right?**_


End file.
